


Bicycle Patrol Unit

by CoffeeAddict80



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Police, Brief Mention Of A Severe (Non-Fatal) Injury To An Animal, M/M, Mild Mentions of Crime Scenes, One Sided Attraction (Sebastian/Blaine), Police Officer!Blaine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:27:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22622518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeAddict80/pseuds/CoffeeAddict80
Summary: When NYPD bicycle cop, Blaine Anderson, begins to fall for Kurt Hummel - the gorgeous man that he first notices while Kurt is jogging through the park during Blaine’s patrol there - it causes a rift between him and his patrol partner, Sebastian Smythe
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Comments: 63
Kudos: 107
Collections: Blaine Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for the Blaine Big Bang 2020. It’s the first time I’ve ever participated in a Big Bang, and I had so much fun. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I had writing it. But first, I have some people I need to thank: my beta @tchrgleek for all of her edits and corrections that helped to make my story better; my artist @lallagoglee for her gorgeous artwork; the @blainebigbang mod for hosting this event; and everyone in the BBB Discord for all of your support and cheerleading. This fic would not exist in its current state without all of you! Thank you so much!!  
> Now obviously, this fic is an AU, so there are plenty of liberties taken with police procedures as well as laws/rules/regulations in and around NYC. There may also be some geographical inaccuracies as well. But we’re just going to pretend like everything in this story is how things are. Because in my version of NYC, it is, lol! Enjoy the story! :) 

Saturday morning, Blaine walked back over to where Sebastian was standing – half-perched on his bike while holding the handlebars of Blaine’s bike steady – with a cup of coffee in each hand, then handed one of the cups off to Sebastian. “Here you go,” Blaine told him.

“Thanks,” Sebastian replied, before taking a sip of his beverage.

Once Sebastian had taken the cup from him, Blaine reached out for his own bike, and placed his coffee cup in the small cupholder attached to the handlebars. “Ready to go?” Blaine checked, as he fastened his helmet back in place. When Sebastian nodded at him, Blaine mounted his bike and they continued their ride toward Bryant Park.

This was their routine every morning. They’d meet at the station around 7am to check-in and find out if they had any specific assignments they needed to attend to, get their bikes, and then ride over to the park just before 8:00. Along the way, they’d stop at a coffee kiosk to get their caffeine fix – taking turns each morning on who would order and pay while the other stayed with the bikes – before beginning their patrol.

Blaine had met Sebastian during training at the Police Academy a little over 4 years ago. He was one of the few people in their division that seemed to be able to tolerate Sebastian’s arrogant behavior, crude remarks, and flirtatious mannerisms; which is why he was eventually assigned to be Sebastian’s patrol partner. But, unlike the other officers they worked with, Blaine knew how to handle Sebastian – when and how to challenge Sebastian’s commentary, as well as knowing when to placate or ignore him – because, like Sebastian, Blaine had _also_ grown up in an affluent society full of wealthy aristocrats. The main difference between them though, was that Blaine had never been spoiled as a child. Yes, he had been given multiple lessons in proper etiquette, and shown how to conduct himself with decorum and decency, like the other children of upper-class families in his social circle; but, unlike Sebastian, Blaine was also taught to look _beyond_ money and status. He was raised to show compassion for those less fortunate and taught to work hard in order to earn the things he’s given; therefore giving him a completely different viewpoint of society than that of the one Sebastian grew up with.

Despite their differences, the two men were able to work well together. They had an easy friendship with one another that occasionally extended beyond their work partnership; but oftentimes, Blaine and Sebastian were found bickering with each other or teasing one another as well. They were both highly competitive people. Most of the time, their competitiveness was friendly and good-natured; however, sometimes it could veer into hostile territory, but they never let it get in the way of their working relationship. Because when push came to shove, Blaine and Sebastian always had each other’s backs while out in the field.

“I was thinking about hitting up that new gay bar that just opened down in Greenwich Village tonight,” Sebastian said, striking up a conversation as they rode. “We’ve got tomorrow off, and I’ve heard some really great things about it. What do you say? You in?”

Blaine laughed before answering. “No way,” he said, shaking his head. “I know better than to go to a gay bar with you. Or did you forget what happened _last time_ we went out to a bar together?”

“Oh come on! That was 3 years ago!” Sebastian argued. “And I still don’t see what you’re complaining about anyway.”

“Every time I even remotely made _eye contact_ with a guy, you were scaring the poor soul away, acting like some overly-possessive _boyfriend_ or something. Which you’re _not_!” Blaine told him. “Not to mention you kept plying me with drinks, hoping to get me drunk enough to sleep with you – even though you know I have a low tolerance of alcohol to begin with.”

“And…?” he prompted.

“ _And_ ,” Blaine continued, rolling his eyes, “I’ve told you a million times, us…hooking-up…it isn’t going to happen. Not only because I’m just not attracted to you in that way, but also…we _work_ together. I’m not screwing up our partnership for some _cheap_ sex; especially since I _know_ it’s not going to lead to anything. You’re the self-proclaimed king of _permanent_ gay bachelors. While I, on the other hand, would actually like to settle down with someone someday and maybe start a family.”

“I’ll never understand your desire for monogamy,” Sebastian grumbled. “Why does hooking-up have to _lead_ to something for you? Why can’t you just have sex for the sake of having sex?”

“I’ve tried that before, and I just didn’t enjoy it,” Blaine replied, shrugging.

Sebastian smirked at him. “If you’re not enjoying it, then you’re obviously hooking-up with the wrong people. I’m willing to step in and offer my services to help change your mind on that.”

“Nice try, but it’s not happening,” he laughed. “If I’m not going to sleep with you when I’m drunk off my ass, fresh off a bad break-up, and _looking_ for a random rebound hook-up, then believe me, it will _never_ happen. Besides, I hate to break this to you, but I’ve spoken to several guys that you’ve been with in the past. From the reviews I’ve heard, I ain’t missing much. But, hey, maybe you can tell me all about your weekend on Monday; then, depending on what you say, I can check out the bar on my own at another time – without you chasing away every guy that looks in my general direction.”

\---

“Okay,” Sebastian huffed. “What is it with you? This is the third day in a row you’ve just been standing here, unmoving, staring off into space, while we’re supposed to be patrolling.” The two men were currently positioned at the edge of the park, straddling their bikes as they stood still, drinking the last of their coffees, and watching as all the park visitors went about their day. “At first, I thought you had noticed something that might need our attention, but clearly that’s not the case. So what gives?”

Blaine sighed as he debated how to answer the question. He briefly glanced over at Sebastian before returning his gaze to the gorgeous man on his morning jog – thankful that his dark-tinted, mirrored, aviator sunglasses could conceal his direct line of sight. “I’m not staring into space,” he finally replied.

“Then what the hell are you looking at?” Sebastian asked.

“If you must know, I was checking out a cute guy in very tiny running shorts,” Blaine answered, reluctantly.

Sebastian quickly snapped his attention to the direction Blaine had been looking in and glanced around, puzzled. “Where?”

“The one jogging with the German Shepherd,” Blaine said. “A little to your left. He’s moving northbound.”

“Wait. You’re talking about the twink with the dog?” Sebastian asked. “I thought you said you were checking out a _cute_ guy; not whatever… _that_ is.”

“And now you know why I didn’t say anything to you earlier,” he snarked. “Also, don’t call him a twink. You know I hate it when you say things like that.”

“It’s not a derogatory word, therefore I’ll call it like I see it,” Sebastian replied. “But seriously. _That’s_ what you’ve been staring at for the past three days?”

“He goes jogging through this park with his dog at the same time every morning,” Blaine told him. “I actually noticed him a few weeks ago; but since the weather’s gotten hotter, his shorts have gotten… _shorter_. It’s made it a lot harder for me to tear my eyes away before you can notice my ogling. Trust me; I _know_ I shouldn’t be staring at him. I’ve chastised myself enough over this. But it’s really not my fault that he’s so damn gorgeous.”

“You’re pathetic,” he sneered, rolling his eyes at Blaine.

“Maybe I am. So what?” Blaine replied. “It’s not like you’re any better. Or did you already forget what happened last week? When I had to physically intervene in order to stop some guy from kicking your ass because he didn’t appreciate you _continuing_ to hit on him after he told you he was straight and not interested?”

“Of course I haven’t forgotten about that! You helped the guy file a harassment complaint with the Captain,” Sebastian griped.

“You should be _thanking_ me for that, by the way,” Blaine replied, miffed. “That guy _wanted_ to press charges against you for sexual harassment. And even though we both know what you did was _technically_ within the law, and there was no way you’d suffer any _criminal_ penalties for it if he did file, just the act of filing the charges alone would have brought an I.A. investigation down on your ass. Ever since Rodriguez got promoted over there, he’s been _waiting_ for you to screw up – _itching_ for you to give him a reason to fire you. So, I talked that guy down into filing a complaint instead. Not just for his own benefit – since he attempted to get violent with you – but for _yours_ as well. Because I knew the chances of I.A. seeing the complaint would be slim since the Captain likes to keep things like that in-house. And considering that you didn’t even get a misconduct writeup – hell, you _barely_ even got a verbal warning – for your actions, I’d say _you’re welcome_.”

“Whatever. Rodriguez is a douche, and Internal Affairs can suck my dick,” Sebastian said, dismissing his argument. “My _point_ here is: 1.) the guy I was hitting on was _actually hot_ , and 2.) I took an active approach and actually hit on the guy – _on my lunch break_. All _you’re_ doing is staring after this loser like a lovesick puppy – _when you should be working_.”

Blaine clenched his jaw and took a deep breath before answering. “Well then, let’s drop this subject and get back to work.” Without waiting for a reply, he mounted his bike and began to ride away, tossing his empty coffee cup into a trash bin as he rode past it.

\---

Once Blaine was off duty, he left the station and headed to a nearby deli to grab some dinner on his way home. While waiting for his order to be ready, Blaine noticed the man from the park walk into the deli with an armful of flyers. After quickly speaking with an employee, the man began searching the message board for a place to hang one of the flyers he was carrying; so Blaine decided to browse the board as well until his food was ready.

“Advertising anything good?” Blaine asked, walking up to the man, eyeing the stack of paper in his hands. He removed his sunglasses and hooked them on his shirt collar, glancing back at the message board as he waited for a response.

The man faltered in his movements at Blaine’s question, doing a double-take at Blaine’s police uniform – which he hadn’t changed out of yet. “I have permission from the manager as well as a permit to post these around the city if you need to see that.”

Blaine raised his hands in a defensive manner and shook his head slightly. “It’s okay. I believe you. Besides, I’m off duty.” He gave the man a reassuring smile before adding, “I just like knowing what’s going on around the neighborhood. That way I know if there are any particular events I need to keep an eye out for when I am on duty – make sure there won’t be any trouble so that no one gets hurt. Or, you know, see if there’s something fun going on that I might want to attend myself – provided I’m not working, that is.”

“Oh, well, in that case,” the man began, smiling at Blaine and handing him a loose flyer, “I’m advertising a charity concert. Actually, it’s more of a fundraiser than it is a _charity_. But all the money raised will be going to a good cause. My brother is a music teacher at Regal Memorial High School, and his show choir, the Monarchs, are putting on this concert – which will be at the Nell Theatre on Monday night – so that they can raise money for costumes and supplies before the new school year starts in a few weeks.”

“Show choir?” Blaine said, intrigued. “Once upon a time, I was a part of my high school’s show choir. It was a lot of fun – really helped to break me out of my shell and build my confidence back up after…well, that’s not important.”

Blaine thought back to when he had joined the Dalton Academy Warblers. He was new to the school – having just transferred there from a public school across town – and felt isolated and insecure. After all of the bullying that he had faced at his old school – the verbal and physical harassment he endured – it wasn’t easy for him to open up to new people. But the boys at Dalton, especially those in the Warblers with him, really helped to restore his self-esteem, his courage, and his faith in others.

Shaking himself out of his memories, Blaine heard the man’s voice ask him, “Really? Do you still sing?”

“Unfortunately, no; not really,” Blaine answered, shaking his head. “Although, you may occasionally find me belting out some tunes at a karaoke bar every now-and-then. But sadly, that’s about it.” He then glanced at the information on the flyer in his hands and smiled again. “I know the arts programs at public schools don’t always get the funding they deserve, and this concert sounds like it will be very entertaining. I get off duty before the show starts, so your brother and his students can count on me being there. I’ll even hang this up at the precinct to help draw more attention to it.”

“Thank you, Officer…?” the man trailed off, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

Pointing at the nameplate underneath the badge clipped to his shirt over his heart, he replied, “Anderson. Blaine Anderson.”

“Thank you, Officer Anderson,” he repeated, shaking Blaine’s hand. “My name’s Kurt. Kurt Hummel.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Kurt.” Before Blaine could say anything further, the server behind the counter was calling out Blaine’s order number for pick-up. “Ah, well, that’s my dinner. I should probably get that and head home. I’ll see you around. Thanks for the flyer.”


	2. Chapter 2

When Blaine arrived at the precinct Monday morning, he hung up the flyer on the public message board that advertised local events in the district. After that, he checked-in and followed his regular morning routine.

During their ride to the coffee kiosk, Sebastian brought up the flyer that Blaine pinned to the message board. “So, I saw you post something up on the community bulletin board earlier,” he began. “I thought you would have said something about it by now, but you haven’t. So, what was it?”

“Oh, one of the local high schools is doing a fundraiser for their show choir by putting on a concert tonight. They’re trying to raise money for costumes and transportation and stuff. I know the music and arts departments don’t get a lot of funding, so I told the guy hanging up flyers that I’d put one up inside the precinct for him,” Blaine explained. “I know that’s not really your scene, so that’s why I didn’t say anything to you about it.”

“High school show choir? Seriously, Blaine?” Sebastian asked, rolling his eyes. “You really are a sucker for sentimental shit like that, aren’t you?”

“I can’t help it. You know that being in show choir helped me through some really rough times. If I can do something small, like advertise or attend a concert, to help someone that might be in the same boat I once was in, then of course I will,” he replied. “After all, _that_ is the reason that I became a police officer – to help people like me.” They pulled their bikes up next to the coffee vendor, and Blaine nodded his head toward the line. “It’s your turn to buy.”

“Yeah, fine, whatever. I’ve already heard your sob story. And I’d rather go wait in line then hear any more about some stupid show choir anyway,” Sebastian said, removing his bike helmet and hooking it onto his handlebars by the straps.

\---

When Sebastian returned with their drinks, he switched topics and started another conversation with Blaine. “Aren’t you gonna ask me about my weekend? Don’t you want the scoop on that gay bar I went to?”

“Oh, right,” Blaine replied, apologetically, as they began their ride over to the park. “Sorry, Bas, my head was elsewhere. I sort of forgot about that. So, how was it? Did it live up to the hype?”

“Even better!” he answered, enthusiastically. “It’s got the same vibe as that place in Chelsea that you like to go to, but with better – _cheaper_ – drinks, _way_ hotter bartenders, _and_ cleaner bathrooms.”

“Wow…clean bathrooms at a gay bar? In _The Village_? How does that happen?” Blaine said, stunned.

“I said ‘clean _er_ ’ not ‘clean’. Anyway, you should have come with me, man,” Sebastian continued. “The guys there were ripe for the picking. I got so many numbers; I couldn’t even keep track of them all. Even you, with your pathetic attempts at flirting, would have been able to have gotten laid. That’s how eager all of those guys were.”

“My flirting skills are not pathetic!” Blaine told him.

“They are, Blaine; they _really_ are,” Sebastian replied. “Seriously, you have no game. But you’re hot. And you have a killer ass. So, guys will take pity on you and play along, that way you don’t suddenly become disinterested when they hurt your feelings.”

“Oh, whatever! You’re just jealous that I can flirt without adding a million innuendos, or making it sound like I’m sexually harassing someone,” he said. “But anyway! Speaking of guys…did you happen to meet anyone at this bar? Or just collect a bunch of numbers that you’ll never use?”

“I actually went home with this fucking _Adonis_ of a sex god. God, he was so fucking hot. And _flexible_ ,” Sebastian moaned, smirking at Blaine. “I even broke my own rule and stayed overnight just so I could fuck him again in the morning. He was _that_ good.”

“This is probably a stupid question, but any plans to see him again?” he asked.

“No. I _almost_ asked if he’d like to hook-up again, but then his fucking roommate came home and killed any hope of that happening,” Sebastian replied, bitterly. “Apparently, I’d hooked-up with him once before? I don’t remember him. Didn’t even look like my type. I must have been trashed or desperate at the time, or maybe I’d rejected him, and this was some sort of retaliation? I don’t know. Anyway, the roommate told the Adonis some bullshit, so I left.”

“Bas…” he sighed.

“No. Don’t,” Sebastian told him. “I don’t need to put up with shit like that. Besides, it’s not like I wanted to _date_ the guy. I just was thinking about hooking-up with him again. The sex was _good_. That’s it. No feelings were hurt, so just drop it. My whole point was: I had a good weekend, and you should have come to the bar with me because I’m sure you didn’t do anything even remotely fun.”

“That’s not true,” Blaine countered. “I had a very nice weekend relaxing at home.”

“Like I said, nothing remotely fun,” Sebastian said.

\---

Sebastian eyed a couple of teenagers goofing around across the park. “Hey, I’m gonna go check out what those kids are up to over there. They came from over in that direction. Maybe you should check that area out just in case. I’ll call ya if I need backup.”

“Alright,” Blaine agreed. The two officers split up, and Blaine headed to the area where the kids had originally come from. After looking around for a little while, Blaine couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. He was about to mount his bike and ride back over to where Sebastian was when he saw Kurt jogging toward him. Not wanting to interrupt Kurt’s morning run, he smiled in Kurt’s direction and gave a small wave, preparing to get back to work.

“Officer Anderson?” Kurt asked, slowing down and coming to a stop next to Blaine’s bike.

“Hello, Kurt,” Blaine greeted him.

“Fancy seeing you here,” he replied.

Blaine gave a slight chuckle then answered, “Not really. I’m here every morning. It’s part of my regular patrol.”

“It is? Oscar and I go jogging here every morning,” he said, indicating his dog, voice laced with surprise. “I don’t recall seeing you here before.”

“I can’t say the same,” Blaine replied, bashfully.

Kurt blinked in confusion before his attention was pulled away by Oscar pulling on his leash, ready to continue their run. “Oscar, sit,” he commanded.

“Your dog’s name is Oscar? He’s adorable,” Blaine said, reaching out a hand for the dog to sniff. After sniffing Blaine for a few seconds, Oscar then nudged Blaine’s hand with his head trying to get Blaine to pet him. As Blaine began to pet the dog, he looked back up at Kurt and continued, “I posted your flyer on the precinct community board. It had already piqued some interest before I left for patrol. I heard one Detective mention the possibility of bringing his kids to see the performance. Hopefully, some of the other officers will be inclined to attend the concert tonight too.”

“That would be great if they did. Thank you for doing that. The kids in my brother’s class work so hard. I hate that they have to do all this extra fundraising just to afford sheet music and stuff that the school should be supplying them with,” Kurt said. “And the fact that the school year hasn’t even started yet, and they are already spending hours rehearsing new songs…they deserve better.”

“Well, as I told you the other day, they can count on my support,” Blaine said.

“I really appreciate that,” Kurt told him. “And so does my brother and his students.”

“It’s really not a problem,” Blaine replied. He noticed Oscar starting to pull on his leash again – wanting to keep moving – and let out a soft chuckle. “Looks like Oscar is getting antsy. I’ll let you two get back to your run. And I should probably head back and check on my partner.”

“Oh, right,” Kurt said, eyes widening in realization. “You’re working. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” he answered, smiling. “Talking to the residents in the community is part of my job. I’ll see you at the concert tonight?”

“I’ll be there. I’m the emcee for the evening,” Kurt replied. “Have a good day, Officer Anderson.”

“Good day to you as well, Kurt. Enjoy your run.” Blaine then mounted his bike and rode back over to where Sebastian was, chancing a quick look over his shoulder to watch Kurt continue his jog.

\---

“What the hell are you smiling about?” Sebastian asked when Blaine pulled up next to him.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he said, waving off Sebastian’s inquiry. “So, those kids you wanted to get a closer look at, what were they up to? Because I couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary.”

“They were just playing some stupid role-playing game or something. Messing around. Nothing we needed to investigate,” Sebastian replied. “I gave them a verbal warning though; told them to keep the dubious activity to a minimum.”

“Probably a good idea,” he agreed. “Ready for another lap around the park?”

“Lead the way, killer,” Sebastian said, smirking while sliding his sunglasses down enough to peek his eyes over the top of the frames, so that Blaine could see him giving him a once-over.

Blaine shook his head slightly as he rolled his eyes, then pushed off to start their next lap.

\---

“Bicycle Unit Three-Eleven in pursuit of a suspect heading West on West 43rd,” Blaine said into the radio clipped to his shoulder, as he peddled down the street, chasing the fleeing man. “Suspect is wanted in connection to a mugging. He is a white male wearing jeans, a red t-shirt, and a black leather jacket; driving a neon green Vespa.”

“Suspect is taking a right onto 8th, heading North,” Sebastian added after Dispatch confirmed their transmission. He looked over at Blaine and cursed. “How the hell is he getting away!? He’s on a fucking _scooter_ for crying out loud.”

“Well then, switch gears and speed the fuck up!” Blaine replied, following his own advice. He adjusted the gears on his bike, peddling a little harder, and speeding up ahead after the suspect.

As they approached 46th Street, a police cruiser pulled out into the middle of the intersection blocking the road. The suspect on the Vespa skidded to a halt. Blaine reached him before either one of the officers in the cruiser could get out of their vehicle. He jumped off his bike and apprehended the guy, just as Sebastian approached; shutting off the siren but leaving the flashing police lights on.

Sebastian maneuvered the suspect’s Vespa – and Blaine’s bike – over to the side of the road, while the officers in the cruiser did the same with their car, so they were no longer blocking traffic. While Blaine read the man his rights, the other two officers exited the cruiser. One of them began to direct traffic around the scene, while the other walked over to Sebastian to get filled in on the situation.

“He lifted that backpack off a tourist outside a parking garage on 43rd. The woman put it down on the sidewalk so she could look through her purse – _like an idiot_ ,” Sebastian told David, the officer that approached him, while rolling his eyes at the woman’s carelessness. “We had just rounded the corner and were headed back toward the station when the woman started screaming that her bag had been stolen. She pointed him out to us,” he said, motioning to the suspect in Blaine’s custody, “he was on foot, running East. I followed him for about a block while Anderson stayed with the woman to get some info. Then I saw him pull some keys out of his pocket while cutting through traffic to cross the street, he hopped onto the scooter and began driving West back the way he came. Once he was on the scooter, I turned on the lights and sirens to get his attention. Instead of pulling over, jackass over here turned around, flipped me off, and sped up. Then Anderson joined the pursuit and radioed in the call.”

“Nice timing! Thanks for the assist,” Blaine told David. “I managed to hand the victim one of my cards before catching up to Bas, so she’s probably – _hopefully_ – at the station filing a report already. If you and Wes wouldn’t mind giving this young man a ride there, Bas and I will catch up as soon as we finish here.”

“Not a problem. Just glad we were in the area,” David replied, tipping his hat at Blaine. He took the victim’s backpack, and the man in custody, from Blaine, then began walking over toward the police vehicle.

Sebastian took over directing traffic for Wes so that he and David could get the suspect into the cruiser and radio for assistance with the suspect’s Vespa. Once the scene was cleared, Blaine and Sebastian rode down to the station to help with processing the petty theft incident.

\---

Blaine got up from his desk to grab a report off the printer, sighing heavily. Wes approached him to follow-up on the backpack incident, since he had assisted in the suspect’s arrest. Taking note of Blaine’s appearance, Wes opted for a different line of questioning instead. “You alright? What’s wrong?” Wes asked him.

“My shift ended over two hours ago,” he grumbled.

“Okay…?” Wes replied, confused. “You don’t normally complain about things like that though. You’re one of the few guys here that doesn’t mind staying late to wrap up a case. So, what’s so different about today? Or is it the case that’s bothering you?”

“It’s not the case. It’s just… I have plans that I _really_ don’t want to miss,” Blaine told him. “I made a promise to someone, and if I don’t get out of here soon, I’m not going to make it in time. As it stands, I already don’t have enough time to go home, shower, and change before I have to be there. And I certainly won’t have any time to eat first.”

“When do you have to be… _wherever_ it is you’re going? And how long will it take you to get there?” Wes asked.

“It’s a concert-slash-fundraiser at the Nell Theatre over on 44th. It starts in…” Blaine checked his watch, sighing, “about 40 minutes. Probably will take me 15 to 20 minutes to get there from here.”

“How much more work do you have with this case?” Wes wondered. “Can’t you just save it for tomorrow? Or have Sebastian take over the rest of that paperwork for you?”

“Sebastian left forty-five minutes ago. Claimed he had somewhere else to be, and that he wasn’t getting paid enough overtime to stay,” Blaine replied. “And it needs to get done _today_ because I have to appear in court tomorrow; I won’t have time to do any of it then. This report is all that’s left.”

“Well, if it’s just that report, you should be fine then,” Wes told him. “That one shouldn’t take you more than ten minutes. And I know for a fact you keep more than one spare change of clothes in your locker. Okay, so you probably won’t have enough time for a shower first, but you don’t really _need_ to shower, do you? And it’s a concert. They should have food for sale there, right? Don’t stress.”

“I’m going to disagree with you on the shower,” Blaine replied, chuckling. “You try riding a bike around Manhattan in the hot August weather _all day_ before having to go racing after a criminal on a motorized vehicle, and then tell me you don’t need a shower afterward. Not all of us have a nice airconditioned cruiser for our patrols, you know. But I suppose a change of clothes, some deodorant, and a few spritzes of cologne will have to do.”

“You may have a point,” he agreed, wrinkling his nose at Blaine’s argument. “But it was a _Vespa_ …it’s not like the guy was on a motorcycle. Those things can’t top, what? 30? 40? Miles per hour? That’s easy enough for you to keep up with, right? So it’s not like chasing him down was _that_ hard for you.”

Blaine gave Wes an unamused glare. “If he was driving one with a smaller engine, maybe. But the model he had has a 150cc engine on it.” At Wes’s blank stare, Blaine sighed and rolled his eyes. “It means it has a top speed of almost 60 miles per hour. I can only average about 25 miles per hour on my bike; sometimes 30 if I push myself hard enough and don’t have to travel long distances. Even if the Vespa had a smaller engine and could only top 30 or 40 miles per hour, cycling at that speed is still strenuous. So, yeah, chasing him down wasn’t as _easy_ as you assume it to be. Bas and I were just lucky that traffic and road conditions slowed him down enough for us to catch up to him while you and David cut him off at the intersection.”

“Well, I’m glad I could help,” Wes said. “I’ll let you get back to that report so you can try to make your concert on time.”

“Yeah, thanks man,” Blaine replied.

\---

About fifteen minutes later Blaine had finally finished his paperwork and rushed down to the locker room to change out of his uniform. Looking through the civilian clothes he had in his locker, Blaine chose a pair of dark-wash denim jeans, a light-gray short-sleeved polo, and a gray and pink striped bowtie. He also pulled out a cream-colored cardigan with black accents to bring with him, just in case the AC at the theater was turned up too high. He hurried to make himself presentable, wishing he had time to shower and different outfit options to choose from, then – after making sure he had everything he needed – rushed out of the precinct toward the theater where the concert was being held.


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine arrived at the theater just as the concert was starting. He could hear Kurt’s introduction from the lobby as he purchased his bottle of water and a bag of mixed dried fruit and nuts from the concessions stand. However, Kurt had already left the stage by the time he made it inside the main theater. Blaine quickly found a seat near the back, so he wouldn’t disturb anyone, then sat back to enjoy the show.

When the show ended, Blaine rose to his feet, clapping and cheering with the rest of the attendees. He took his time exiting the theater, making sure to collect his empty water bottle and snack bag to bring to the trash. After tossing out his garbage, he looked around the lobby and noticed Kurt talking to one of the ushers. Blaine caught his eye then smiled and waved at him.

Kurt excused himself from his conversation then walked over to say hello. “Officer Anderson. You made it.”

“I did,” Blaine replied, nodding. “But, please, call me Blaine.”

“Of course; Blaine,” he repeated. “I was in the lobby before the show started and I didn’t see you come in. I thought maybe you forgot or something.”

Blaine closed his eyes and let out a soft groan. He shook his head then opened his eyes and looked at Kurt apologetically. “I didn’t forget. I, unfortunately, just got tied up with work. I had to come here straight from the precinct. Barely had enough time to change out of my uniform. Thankfully, I had civilian clothes in my locker. Apparently, criminals and their victims are completely unconcerned about silly little things like my schedule or my personal life. Took a while to get things sorted out enough for me to be able to leave for the evening.”

“Oh my god! I hope everyone was okay!” Kurt said.

“Everyone was fine; no one was hurt,” Blaine reassured him. “It was a non-violent mugging, and the culprit was unarmed. I _did_ have to go chasing after him for several blocks though, but we caught the guy, and the woman got all her belongings back.”

“Well, that’s good. I’m glad everything worked out,” he said, relieved. “So… Did you enjoy the show tonight?”

“I did, yes! When I got here you were in the middle of your introduction, but unfortunately, you had already left the stage by the time I was seated. So, I sadly didn’t get to see you do your emcee thing; I had been looking forward to it too. But, um, as for the rest of the show…those kids sounded _amazing_!” Blaine told him. “The talent on that stage really blew me away. Your brother should be very proud of every single one of those kids. It actually made me a little nostalgic for my own show choir days.”

“I know what you mean,” he agreed. “Finn – that’s my brother – and I were both in our high school’s show choir as well. That club – and the friendships I made in it – they did _so much_ for me. I think that’s why I want to help Finn’s students so much; why I let them use this theater for the fundraiser and all their rehearsals. I want them to get the same kind of joy and camaraderie from their club that I got from mine.”

“Wait. Let them use the theater? What do you mean?” Blaine asked. “You work here?”

“Oh, I guess you missed that part of my intro,” Kurt smirked. “I own The Nell.”

“You _own_ this theater? Really? Wow,” Blaine said, impressed. “I had no idea. I ride past this theater every day as part of my patrol. Ever since it re-opened a few years ago, I’m always making sure to check out the marquee as I ride past, to see what’s playing. Promising myself I’ll make it out to a show soon, but never finding the time. That’s really incredible that you own it. I thought perhaps you meant you were management or something. But owner? Wow.”

“Thank you. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” he said.

“I can imagine,” Blaine replied. “You know, there was a brief period in my life where I wanted to be a performer on a Broadway stage. Putting my heart and soul on display every night in hopes that I could resonate with just _one_ person in the audience – to touch their lives in a positive way.”

“Me too, actually,” Kurt said, wistfully. “My love of theater just _evolved_ over time. It became less about the actual performing and more about…well, everything else. How about you? What happened to make you want to give up performing and become a cop instead?”

Blaine sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh. Um…”

“You don’t have to say anything if it’s too personal,” Kurt told him, seeming to notice Blaine’s sudden uneasiness.

“It’s just…not a pleasant story,” Blaine murmured, shifting uncomfortably. “Maybe another time?”

“Like I said, you don’t have to tell me,” Kurt reminded him. “I was just curious about the shift in career aspirations.”

“Well, to be honest, it wasn’t necessarily a shift in _aspirations_ , so much as it was a shift in _execution_. Making art and helping people were always my life goals,” Blaine said. “How I planned to go about achieving that… _that’s_ what shifted for me. And, yes, there’s a little less _art_ in the work I do now, but even so, I’m very happy with the path I chose. I’m helping people. I’m doing my part to make my community better for others. And really, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life.” He then smiled and added, “And I feel like, being a part of the bicycle patrol unit not only allows me to help _more_ people, but it helps me feel more connected to my community too. It’s easier to talk to the residents, to hear what they have to say – their concerns, their observations. And that makes it easier to notice things out of the ordinary because I’m familiar with the environment, the people, and their routines. I’m not stuck in a car all day, or behind a desk in an office – I’m out on the streets, riding next to the pedestrians and other cyclists; I’m immersed in my surroundings. Plus, unlike other patrol units, bicycle patrol is allowed to wear shorts when the weather warrants it. And trust me when I say, it makes a world of difference.”

Kurt laughed lightheartedly at that. “I’m sure it does. And I guess that the whole ‘being familiar with people’s routines’ thing you mentioned explains what you meant this morning – when you said you’d noticed me at the park before.”

Blaine ducked his head, bashfully, and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Not to sound like a creeper or anything, but I’ve seen you jogging through the park every day for the past several weeks while I’m on patrol there; you’re pretty hard to miss. Though, in my defense, it was actually Oscar that drew my _initial_ attention – making sure he was on a leash, that he was staying off the grass, and that he was under control.” Looking at Kurt with a sly grin, he gave him a quick once-over, then added in a flirtatious tone, “But my subsequent attention was _definitely_ on his owner.”

“I am a responsible dog owner, thank you very much,” Kurt said, pretending to be affronted; his bright smile giving away that he wasn’t insulted by Blaine’s comments.

“Mmhmm, so I’ve noticed,” Blaine replied, smirking. Waving a hand in front of his face like a fan, he added, “It’s a lot warmer out here in the lobby than it is the theater; don’t you think?” He slowly removed his cardigan and draped it over his arm, subtly flexing his biceps in the process.

Kurt’s breath hitched before he awkwardly cleared his throat and broke eye contact with Blaine. “Well, I’m really glad that you were able to make it to the show tonight,” he said, changing the subject. “I know the kids appreciate your support – monetary and otherwise.”

Noticing Kurt’s reaction, Blaine silently cheered to himself before putting on a genuine smile. “They deserved it; their performance was incredible,” he replied, sincerely. “Wish I could’ve done more to help. Maybe you could keep me updated about any upcoming concerts or fundraisers they might have in the future? I’d love to attend another one.”

“Yeah, and you could bring someone with you perhaps?” Kurt suggested. “Like a date? Or maybe a girlfriend?”

“Gir– oh. _Wow_ , uh, o-okay…” Blaine stammered, blinking at Kurt in shock. He briefly closed his eyes as he shook his head, quietly laughing at himself in disbelief. “I guess Bas was right. If you somehow thought that I was straight, then my flirting techniques must be more pathetic than he let on. Either that, or that’s your polite way of telling me that my pitiful attempt at trying to flirt with you is unwanted and I need to stop. I mean, I know I’ve never been good at reading people, but I didn’t think I was _this_ bad.” Pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath, Blaine looked at Kurt apologetically. “I’m, um…I’m sorry. I have obviously just made a complete fool of myself, so I’m just gonna… _go_ ; before I embarrass myself any further. Have a good night, Kurt.”

Blaine turned to walk away, but Kurt placed a hand on his arm to hold him in place. “Blaine, wait. Please,” Kurt said. He waited for Blaine to turn back to face him again before removing his hand and continuing his train of thought. “I’m sorry. Your technique wasn’t pathetic or pitiful. Really. I just…” Kurt paused to take a deep breath, “I’ve been burned too many times by misinterpreting people’s feelings and/or intentions. There has, unfortunately, been way too many times that I would have _sworn_ a guy was flirting with me, only to find out later that he was completely straight and that was the _furthest_ thing from his mind. It has gotten me into some pretty awkward situations, to be honest. Me asking about a potential girlfriend _wasn’t_ because I assumed you were straight. Or because you were making me uncomfortable. It was me _trying_ to be subtle to make sure that you _weren’t_ straight. I had to ensure I wasn’t reading too much into what you were saying – that there was a _chance_ you could actually be interested in me…before I did something stupid like try to give you my phone number or ask you on a date or something. Because trust me, I really almost did _both_ of those more than once during our conversation. I honestly wasn’t trying to embarrass you or make you feel foolish. I was just trying to prevent embarrassing myself. Guess I failed on that one, didn’t I? Good job, Kurt!”

“Do you mean that?” he replied, skeptically. “That you were only trying to confirm that I was gay and interested?”

Kurt drew an ‘X’ over his heart with his finger. “Cross my heart.”

“Well in that case,” Blaine began, smiling softly at Kurt, “let me remove any confusion and be perfectly clear about this. I am single. I am gay. And I am very much attracted to you in a non-platonic way. I also would not object at all if you wanted to give me your phone number or ask me out. In fact, I’d be _thrilled_ with either of those happening.”

“Ditto. On all of that,” he replied, breathlessly, with a huge grin on his face.

“Good to know. And considering that you implied that you’re okay with me asking you out, and I’m sort of impatient… As it stands right now, I have Sundays and Wednesdays off – at least until the next shift rotation. So, if you are interested and available…we could go out for coffee or lunch on Wednesday afternoon?” Blaine checked.

Kurt smiled and nodded at him. “If you don’t mind waiting until about 1:30 to eat, then lunch sounds great.”

“1:30 works for me,” Blaine told him.

“Oh! Um,” Kurt said, patting his pockets, searching for something. “Ah, here we go.” He handed Blaine a business card. “My cell number is right…there. In case you need to call me. To discuss lunch plans. Or, you know, whatever.”

Blaine took out his phone and input the number from the card into his contacts. He then sent Kurt a text.

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** *blushing smiley face emoji* <\-- this is me right now (Blaine)

“And now you have my number,” Blaine told him, once he had hit ‘send’ on his text. He smirked at Kurt then added, “You know, in case you need to call me. To discuss lunch plans, or _whatever_.”

Kurt chuckled and nodded. “Well, considering that the only thing settled about lunch is a day and time, I’m sure this number will come in _very_ handy.”

Blaine checked the time on his wristwatch and sighed. “Unfortunately, it is getting kind of late, and I have to be at work very early in the morning; so I should probably get going. But maybe…could I walk you home first? Unless you need to stay here to close up or something?”

“I gave myself the night off, so I could focus on my emcee duties. My assistant manager is here to do all of the closing tasks. But I, unfortunately, have to decline the offer. If we were anywhere other than this theater, I would happily agree to have you walk me home,” Kurt replied. “However, you see that door over there?” He pointed to a door on the far wall marked with ‘NO ADMITTANCE’ and ‘NOT AN EXIT’ signs. Once Blaine nodded in confirmation, Kurt continued, “Well, on the other side of that door is a set of stairs that leads up to an apartment suite; where I live. So, technically, I’m already home.”

“You live above the theater,” Blaine said, nodding, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Don’t know why I didn’t realize that sooner.”

“I figure, if I’m going to own the building, I might as well move into the adjoined apartment to save myself time and money. Plus, this way, I know that I’m not going to get crap from neighbors or landlords about having Oscar living with me. And everything is soundproofed because of the theater, so it works out quite nicely,” Kurt told him.

“Alright then,” Blaine agreed. “Since you won’t have to walk the potentially dangerous New York streets alone in the dark, then I guess it’s okay for me to head home – not that I really want to. But I, unfortunately, do still need to eat dinner and shower before I can attempt to sleep tonight.”

“Okay. Will you text me when you get home?” Kurt asked. “Just so I know you arrived safely? After all, you _are_ walking potentially dangerous New York streets alone in the dark.”

Blaine nodded his head as he chuckled. “Touché. However, the difference is: I am a cop. And even though I don’t look tough or intimidating, I’m quite skilled in the art of self-defense; and I’m a lot stronger than I look. That’s not to say that you _couldn’t_ handle yourself walking alone at night. I’m sure you are more than capable. But having specialized training _and_ NYPD Dispatch on speed dial helps. And, yes, of course I will send you a text when I get home.”

“The _art_ of self-defense, huh?” he replied, smirking. “And you said there wasn’t much art in the work you do.” Blaine rolled his eyes at Kurt’s reply but had a large grin on his face while doing so. “Have a safe walk home,” Kurt continued. “I’ll be awaiting news of your safe arrival.”

“Goodnight, Kurt. Tell Oscar I said ‘hello’. And I’ll see you both during your run tomorrow morning.” Blaine winked at him then turned around and walked toward the exit.

\---

Blaine walked to the nearest subway station and took the train home to his condo in Chelsea. Once he’d stepped foot into his apartment, he’d locked the door behind him, and pulled out his phone to send Kurt a text.

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** Home now. Arrived safely with no issues

After he hit ‘send’ he walked over to his fridge – thankful he’d had the foresight to prepare a meal for tonight while he was off duty yesterday – and pulled out the Tupperware container of Grilled Bruschetta Chicken. He reheated it in the microwave then sat down at his kitchen island to eat when his phone pinged with an incoming text.

**To Blaine > From Kurt:** Glad to hear it. Have a good night Officer Anderson *wink emoji* 


	4. Chapter 4

Blaine rushed to get ready for work in the morning. He got dressed in his usual short-sleeved uniform shirt, shorts, and sneakers, then hurriedly put together another civilian outfit to keep in his locker at work. Knowing he needed to appear in court later, he also grabbed his garment bag with his long-sleeved uniform shirt, tie, long slacks, and dress shoes. Blaine made sure he had his standard patrol hat as well; normally, during a patrol shift, he would be wearing his bike helmet or a ballcap – since the ballcap is easier to carry around on the bike. Double-checking that he had everything he needed for the day, he left his apartment and headed to the station.

Once Blaine got to the precinct, he put his garment bag, patrol hat, and extra civilian clothing in his locker then finished getting ready for duty by adorning his utility belt and other uniform accessories that he’d had to leave behind before leaving the station yesterday evening. After that was done, he went upstairs to his desk to meet up with Sebastian.

“Why are you wearing that uniform?” Sebastian asked while walking over to greet him. “We gotta be at court at 11:00, right? So, shouldn’t you be wearing dress pants, long-sleeves, and a tie? I thought we were just gonna stay here and catch up on paperwork before we leave?”

“Captain told us yesterday that we still have to do the regular patrol around Bryant Park until 9:30 because of the Cultural Arts Festival today,” Blaine replied. “My other uniform is in my locker downstairs. I figured I’d change here after the patrol, then we can lock up the bikes and check-out a cruiser to get to court. And, I don’t know about you, but I don’t _have_ any paperwork to ‘catch up’ on; all of mine is done.”

“Are you shitting me? We still gotta patrol Bryant Park before court?” Sebastian asked. “Or…wait a minute… Are you just saying that because you want to see that twink with the dog again?”

“I told you to stop calling him that,” Blaine began, sharply.

Sebastian cut him off before he could say more and replied, “And I told you it’s not a derogatory word, so I’m gonna keep using it.”

“Whatever,” Blaine sighed. “And for your information, no, I am not just saying that. Why do you think I was complaining about you ditching me here with a massive pile of paperwork yesterday? Because I knew we wouldn’t have an opportunity to do any of it today. And if you don’t believe me, go ask the Captain yourself.”

“Fuck!” he muttered, under his breath. “I thought you were just bitching because you hate leaving work unfinished, and you were hoping to go to that show choir thing or whatever it was. I didn’t realize it was because we had to patrol before court today.”

Blaine sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sometimes I don’t know why I put up with you.”

\---

After realizing that Sebastian came to work ready for court, the Captain told him to stay behind at the precinct to finish up any paperwork he still needed to complete, then review his testimony for his court appearance. Blaine would be doing the park patrol alone since he was ready for duty and could easily review his notes in the car or at the courthouse. Readily agreeing to do the solo patrol, Blaine left the station and headed over to the park a little earlier than normal.

Pulling up to the kiosk that he and Sebastian usually stopped at for coffee, Blaine got off his bike and walked it over to the line with him. “Good morning, Joseph,” Blaine said, greeting the coffee vendor.

“Ah, Officer Anderson! You’re early today. I wasn’t expecting you boys for another half-hour,” Joseph replied, with a bright smile on his face. He took note of the Police Bike next to Blaine and looked over to where he and Sebastian normally parked them while one of them stood in line before frowning. “No Officer Smythe today? He sick?”

“No, no; he’s fine. He just can’t be here because he has to testify in court this morning,” Blaine answered. “Which means, it’s just me today.”

“I see; so, just the one coffee then? Your usual?” he asked, already preparing the coffee to Blaine’s preferred taste.

“Yes, please. Just the one,” Blaine confirmed. Joseph handed Blaine the cup while taking the cash being offered to him. He smiled at Joseph, gratefully. “You are a saint. Thank you.” Noticing the vendor trying to hand him back his change, Blaine quickly waved him off. “No; please, keep the change.”

“Thank you; you are too kind,” Joseph told him. “See you on Thursday.”

Blaine laughed and nodded his head. “Yes, sir; take care!” he called to him, as he stepped out of line and got back onto his bike.

\---

Blaine had just finished issuing a ticket for littering when he noticed Kurt and Oscar jogging in the distance. He got back on his bike then rode up next to them. “Enjoying your run?” Blaine asked.

“I am,” Kurt replied. He glanced at Blaine with a cheeky grin and added, “Enjoying your patrol?”

“I am now,” Blaine told him.

Kurt laughed lightheartedly at that. His gaze then narrowed onto Blaine’s handlebars before looking back up at Blaine, frowning. “Is that _coffee_ in that cup holder?”

“It is. Or rather, it _was_ ,” Blaine answered. “The cup is empty now; I just haven’t gotten around to tossing it out.”

“Shouldn’t you be drinking water if you’re riding around outside all day?” Kurt asked.

Blaine smiled and nodded while pointing to the lower part of his bicycle frame. “Water bottle’s right there. I just like having a small caffeine boost in the morning before dealing with the more arduous portion of my patrol.”

“Alright; at least you’re staying hydrated,” Kurt replied. “But you should probably get back to work now. Your partner’s probably wondering where you ran off to.”

“He’s not here today,” Blaine said. “But, unfortunately, you’re right. I do need to head back to the station. I’ve got to get ready to go to court.”

Kurt gasped and looked at Blaine anxiously. “ _Court_? Is everything okay?”

“For me? Yes,” he said. “The court appearance is work-related. I need to give a statement about a Domestic Disturbance call I responded to. But, um…I should have some downtime while I’m at the courthouse. Would it be okay if I texted you?”

“Oh, I didn’t realize you actually had to physically go to court for things like that. I thought they would just read the police reports aloud or something; but being there in person does seem to make more sense. And, yes, I’d like that – you texting me, that is,” Kurt replied.

“Great! I’ll be in touch. Talk to you later, Kurt,” Blaine said, before turning down a different path and heading out of the park and back toward the station.

\---

When Blaine arrived back at the station, he secured his bike and hurried to change into his slightly more professional looking uniform, then went upstairs to meet Sebastian.

“Oh good, you’re back,” Sebastian said, as Blaine reached their workstation. “I was just about to call you and tell you to get your ass back here. And speaking of your ass…” he licked his lips as his eyes traveled up and down Blaine’s body, “ _Damn_ , you clean up good! Not that your cycling uniform isn’t flattering – because trust me, those shorts do wonders for your thighs – but there’s just something about the more traditional uniform that just gives you that extra _oomph_!”

“You say that every single time we have to go to court,” Blaine told him. “I am very well aware of how much you like to objectify me in traditional dress – despite how often I tell you not to. However, we don’t have time for that now. We have a hearing to get to.”

“There’s _always_ time for objectifying you; especially when you look like _that_. And I already checked-out a cruiser. I was just waiting on you; so grab your notes and let’s go.”

Blaine picked up a folder off his desk – which was across from Sebastian’s – and waved it at him. “Got my notes right here.”

“Awesome. Let’s hit the road then. Oh, and I’m driving; because you drive like an old lady, and I don’t want to be late,” he replied.

“I do not!” Blaine argued. “But, whatever; I’d rather you drive anyway. That way I can review my statement in the car.”

They made their way down to the underground parking garage and into their assigned cruiser. Once in the car, Sebastian asked Blaine about the patrol. “You didn’t have any issues with the patrol today, did you? I assume you were okay out there by yourself since I didn’t hear any requests for backup, but I just want to make sure.”

“You know, I _have_ done a patrol on my own before; but, yes, everything was fine,” Blaine confirmed. “I only had to give out one ticket for littering; other than that, it was pretty quiet. No issues at all. Most of the _big_ events for the Cultural Arts Festival don’t start until later in the day, so there wasn’t a large crowd over there yet.”

“Good to know,” Sebastian said. “And, yeah, I know you’ve done solo patrols before; but without backup, you tend to get yourself in over your head.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Blaine asked. “I’m perfectly capable of handling myself out in the field.”

Sebastian snorted before replying. “Whatever you say, Blaine. Seriously, it’s almost like you think putting on a police uniform increases your physical size by two or something. You’re always trying to take down guys that are two or three times your size,” he said. “I mean, most criminals look at you in that uniform, and they see a child playing dress-up. Having someone else with you while on patrol or responding to a call means that there’s less of a chance of you winding up seriously hurt.”

Blaine clenched his jaw and took a few deep breaths to calm down. “Remind me again: who graduated at the top of our class at the Police Academy? Oh, that’s right. It was _me_. I was the one ranked number one in our class – I was the class valedictorian.”

“Because you’re a nerd,” Sebastian replied. “Of course you’re going to do well on the _academic_ portion of the training. You’re great at _paperwork_ , but your _fieldwork_ could use a little help.”

“I believe I also received honors in marksmanship too – something you _didn’t_ achieve,” he added. “Oh, and I can also bench-press more than you… _actually_ , I usually do better on _all_ the PAT[1] components than you do – even when we aren’t being tested on them. So please explain to me how my fieldwork is _lacking_.”

“Oooh, so you can run fast for someone with tiny legs; good for you,” Sebastian mocked. “That doesn’t help when a man twice your size has you cornered because you thought you could take him on all on your own. What you lack is common sense, and _that_ is why you need a partner out in the field. That’s why you need _me_ – to prevent you from becoming a danger to yourself.”

“You’re delusional,” Blaine muttered. He made a show of opening his folder and beginning to review his notes for the case they were testifying at to signal that he was done talking.

\---

When they got to the courthouse, they showed the guard at the door their badges, IDs, and court documentation, so that they could bypass the metal detectors, then made their way upstairs to their assigned courtroom. They had arrived twenty minutes early, so they were told to remain seated in the holding room next to it until they were needed. Blaine decided to kill some time before the hearing by texting Kurt.

**To Kurt > From Blaine**: About lunch tomorrow…any food allergies or other dietary restrictions I should know about?

**To Blaine > From Kurt:** No, none. You?

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** Nope. Any preference on type of cuisine? American, Italian, Thai, Indian…?

**To Blaine > From Kurt:** There is this French Bistro in Midtown that has an amazing lunch menu. I haven’t been there in a while. I was thinking, maybe you’d like to go there?

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** That sounds fantastic. Shall I pick you up at your place (on foot. I don’t have a car)? Or would you prefer I meet you at the restaurant?

**To Blaine > From Kurt:** It would probably be easier if you met me at the theater in case my meeting runs long. I SHOULD be done before 1:30 though. Then we can take the train over to the restaurant together

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** Then I will meet you in front of your building at 1:30. Gotta run, I’m being called into the courtroom now. TTYL

As Blaine and Sebastian walked into the courtroom, Sebastian looked at Blaine with a suspicious glance. “You seem oddly happy for some reason,” he whispered to Blaine. “What were you doing on your phone anyway? Looking at porn?”

“ _No_ ,” Blaine replied, emphatically, while looking at Sebastian, horrified. “Why would you say something like that?”

Sebastian shrugged at him. “You’re doing that whole bashful schoolboy thing. It’s actually kinda hot. So I just figured you were probably embarrassed about watching porn in public or something.”

“Your mind _would_ go there first,” he said, disgusted, while shaking his head in disbelief. He was saved from having to continue their conversation when they were approached by the defendant’s lawyer.

\---

By the time Blaine and Sebastian made it back to the precinct, their shift had already ended. After taking care of a few minor tasks, Blaine went down to the locker room, ready to head home for the evening. He gathered his things from his locker, making sure he had both of his cycling uniforms in his gym bag, then left the station.

Once Blaine was home, he changed into some casual clothing, tossed his cycling uniforms into the washing machine, then went to the kitchen to make himself some dinner. While his food was in the oven, Blaine texted Kurt again.

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** I’m home from work now. I thought, if you aren’t busy, we could get to know each other a little better before our lunch date tomorrow?

**To Blaine > From Kurt:** I’m not busy. How was court? Did everything work out okay? Or are you not allowed to talk about stuff like that?

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** I’m not supposed to give specific details about things, but I can tell you that – despite the circumstances – I remained calm and collected throughout the hearing and delivered my testimony in a very professional manner. And, in my opinion, the court favored the correct party. But I don’t really want to discuss work right now. I’d rather talk about you

**To Blaine > From Kurt:** Understandable. I AM pretty awesome, so it’s only natural that you’d want to talk about me *wink emoji*

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** And you’re humble too *winking face with tongue sticking out emoji* So Mr. Hummel, let’s start with some basics… how old are you? And before you ask: I am 27

**To Blaine > From Kurt:** I just turned 28 in May. My turn to ask a question now. Are you a native New Yorker? If no, how long have you lived here? My answers: no, I grew up in Ohio and moved to NY when I graduated high school

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** Are you serious!? Me too!

**To Blaine > From Kurt:** Really? You’re from Ohio? Where?

**To Kurt > From Blaine:** Westerville. It’s a smaller city just outside of Columbus. Lived there my whole life until I graduated high school and moved here to attend NYU. You?

**To Blaine > From Kurt:** Lima. It’s in Northwest Ohio. About a hundred miles or so outside of Columbus. I also lived there my whole life until I graduated and moved here to attend NYADA

The conversation between the two men continued on through the evening. Each of them taking turns to ask and answer an ice-breaker style question in hopes to learn more about one another. They finally put an end to their texting around 10 pm with the promise of picking up where they left off when they met-up for lunch the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 PAT stands for Physical Abilities Test. It is a rigorous fitness exam that includes evaluations on running, obstacle courses, and various strength training techniques.


	5. Chapter 5

Blaine took his time picking out the perfect outfit for his lunch date with Kurt. He chose a long-sleeved button-up shirt in a pastel-colored plaid print – he cuffed and rolled the sleeves up to his elbow due to the hot weather; he added a yellow bowtie that was the same shade of yellow found in the plaid print; then he chose a pair of form-fitting slacks that were a very light shade of purple – in some light the color almost looked gray.

Once he was ready and had everything he needed, he left his apartment and hopped on the subway toward the Nell Theatre. He arrived a few minutes before 1:30 and was surprised to see Kurt already waiting for him outside. His breathing hitched as he took in the sight of Kurt wearing a blue short-sleeved button-up shirt with a white flower-print, khaki shorts, white Doc Martin boots, and a blue and red neckerchief. “Kurt. Hi,” Blaine greeted him with a quick, but warm, hug. Pulling back from the hug he looked at Kurt thoughtfully. “You haven’t been waiting long, have you? You look gorgeous, by the way.”

Kurt smiled bashfully at him. “Thank you. You’re looking rather handsome yourself. And, no, I haven’t been waiting very long at all. I just was going a little stir-crazy inside. Came out here for some fresh air.”

“Thank you. Are you ready to go?” he checked. Kurt nodded at him, so he motioned his right hand outwards then offered Kurt his left arm and added, “Lead the way.”

Kurt hooked his arm through Blaine’s then led him to the correct subway station. They kept the conversation very lighthearted on their way to the restaurant – mostly discussing the menu options and Kurt’s personal reviews on the dishes he’s had before. At the bistro, there was less than a five-minute wait for a table. Once they were seated, they picked up their conversation from where they left off texting last night.

After they gave their waiter their orders, Kurt changed the topic. “I know last night we sort of shelved the conversation about your job, but there is something I’m curious about,” Kurt asked. He waited for Blaine to acknowledge the inquiry and motion for him to ask before continuing, “Do your coworkers know that you’re gay?”

Blaine nodded in response. “Most of them do; yeah. I’m very open about my sexuality. But there are some people I just don’t have a lot of interaction with, so I’m not sure if those people know or not, but I’d be fine with them finding out.”

“Has it been hard for you?” he asked. “It’s just…from things I’ve heard, in a job like that, there tends to be a lot of the stereotypical machoism and toxic masculinity. And that, unfortunately, usually comes with a hefty side of homophobia. So, I’m just wondering if your coworkers give you a hard time about your sexuality?”

“Thankfully, my coworkers have all been great,” Blaine replied. “New York is a lot more open-minded and diverse than Ohio is, so I have experienced very little backlash regarding my sexuality here. Plus, it helps that my Captain’s sister is a lesbian in an interracial marriage, so he does not tolerate any kind of discrimination in his department. However,” he added, pausing to collect himself, “I am all too familiar with the homophobia that is present in _other_ precincts. It is the reason I became a police officer after all.”

“What do you mean?” Kurt asked, warily.

“When I was 14 and still living in Ohio, I was gay-bashed.” Kurt gasped in shock but didn’t comment, so Blaine continued, “I took another boy to a school dance. We were both attacked in the parking lot while waiting for our ride to pick us up. There were _dozens_ of witnesses to what happened. And both me and my friend that were attacked were able to give the police the names of our attackers. But no one was ever charged or prosecuted. The boys that attacked us, they didn’t even receive any punishment from the school for what they did – even though it happened on school grounds, during a school event.

“The school board claimed that since the dance had technically ended already, they couldn’t be held accountable for anything that happened on campus,” he added. “And the police tried to water it down because we were all minors – I was 14, my friend was 15, one of the three boys that attacked us was also 15, and the other two were 16. We were told that pressing charges would be pointless because it was just a little schoolyard skirmish that got out of hand. It wasn’t an intentional assault. Boys will be boys. And a bunch of other bullshit.

“I was in the hospital for _two days_ because of their attack. The way that the whole situation was handled…how my claims went unheard, and my trauma ignored…I just didn’t want anyone else to go through that. So, I decided to become a police officer; that way I could make sure I did everything in my power to see that people like me were listened to – that they had a fair shot at justice.”

“Now I understand why you didn’t want to tell me this story at the theater on Monday,” Kurt replied. “I am so sorry that happened to you. I know that I experienced some really bad bullying in high school as well, but nothing that severe. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you put up with remaining at that school with those boys like that?”

“I didn’t,” Blaine answered. “I transferred schools. My parents enrolled me in Dalton Academy. It’s a private secondary school – that teaches grades 6 through 12 – in Westerville with a very strict, zero-tolerance anti-bullying policy. My parents had considered sending me there long before I came out – because the school has really high educational standards – but decided against it because they didn’t want me to feel entitled. The school is rather expensive and exclusive; a lot of the students there are from really _posh_ families. They thought sending me there might bring out more elitist behaviors; and public school would help keep me grounded. But once I was attacked, they put my safety first. It was Dalton’s show choir – the Warblers – that really helped me to heal from what happened at my old school.”

“That’s why you were so supportive of Finn’s students,” Kurt said. “Because of how your show choir helped you in high school. That makes a lot of sense.”

Blaine smiled and nodded. “Exactly. But it also helps that their choir director’s brother is rather stunning as well.” Kurt laughed and buried his face in his hands at that comment. “I’m serious!” Blaine added. “When I saw you at the deli, hanging those flyers, I only went over there because I recognized you from the park, thought you looked breathtakingly gorgeous, and jumped at the opportunity to use it as an excuse to talk to you.”

“Is that so?” Kurt checked. He gave Blaine a cheeky grin and added, “So that line you fed me about staying updated on community events for potential disturbances…that was a lie?”

“No, that was the truth; just not the _full_ truth,” he began. “I was off duty at the time, and I was also pretty tired that day as well. So, if it had been your brother hanging those flyers instead of you, I wouldn’t have bothered checking to see what he posted. I would have just stayed where I was until my food was ready, then left without even glancing at the board. But you on the other hand… well, I sound like a total pervert admitting this, but as I’ve mentioned before, I have noticed you jogging at the park. Every time I saw you, I would get slightly distracted from my patrol duties; especially this past week when you started wearing those extra-short running shorts with a tank top – instead of the t-shirt and mid-thigh shorts you had been wearing. I kept hoping that you – or Oscar – would give me a reason to have to talk to you. I’m sort of… _hopeless_ when it comes to talking to guys I find attractive.”

“When you put it that way, you do sort of sound like a perv,” Kurt replied, chuckling. “But oddly enough, I’m actually kind of flattered by it. As for your hopelessness…well, you seem to be doing okay with me so far.”

“Only because I got to hide behind my uniform while talking to you about your flyers; and because you just so happened to have been advertising something that I am passionate about,” Blaine told him. “If those flyers were advertising a car for sale, or a new daycare facility, or even if they were a help-wanted sign… I would have had no clue how to keep the conversation going; I wouldn’t know what to say. And let’s be honest, if I wasn’t in uniform when I approached you, you probably would have had a very different reaction to me trying to talk to you.”

Kurt tilted his head slightly while scrunching his face up in thought, then reluctantly nodded at him. “Alright, I guess I see your point,” he said.

\---

They began a new topic of conversation when their food arrived. “So, what is Oscar up to right now?” Blaine asked.

Kurt laughed lightheartedly before answering. “Um, he’s just hanging out at home. Alone.”

“How long have you had him?” Blaine wondered.

“I adopted him when he was six months old. He’s 3 now,” Kurt told him. “I had been living above the theater for almost a year; but because I was so used to living with other people, the place just felt so empty. I thought getting a dog would help fill the apartment with life – make it feel a little less lonely. One of my employees, her family actually breeds dogs. She showed me some pictures and…well, I fell in love. Adopted Oscar a few days later.”

“He’s only three? Wow, he’s big for his age, isn’t he?” Blaine asked.

“Not really,” he answered, shaking his head. “German Shepherds reach their full growth between 2-and-a-half and three years old. So, he’s actually just finished growing.”

“Hmm, I did not know that. Learn something new every day,” Blaine mused. “So, was he named Oscar when you got him? Or did you name him?”

“I named him. I chose the name Oscar after Oscar Hammerstein,” Kurt said. “I figured, if he’s going to live in a theater, he needs a theatrical name.”

“Very true. I think the name suits him,” Blaine agreed.

\---

Lunch was filled with an endless variety of easy conversations. There was so much to talk about that there were never any awkward silences. When they finished eating, the waiter came back to the table with the check, leaving it with them while he checked in at another table. As soon as the waiter walked away, both men reached for the check at the same time. They both chuckled and pulled their hands back, looking at each other in amusement.

Blaine arched an eyebrow at Kurt and shook his head. “I invited you out, so _I_ will pay.”

Kurt narrowed his gaze at him for a moment before letting out a sigh and replying, “Fine; on _one_ condition…” When Blaine motioned for him to continue, Kurt added, “I get to pay on our next date.”

“ _Next_ date, huh? I like the sound of that.” Blaine reached a hand across the table and said, “You got yourself a deal.”

Kurt laughed as he shook the offered hand. “Glad we are in agreement.”

Blaine pulled a thin billfold and a wallet out of his pocket; he placed the billfold on the table, then removed a credit card from his wallet, sliding it into the leather check presenter. As soon as he placed it on the edge of the table, the waiter hurried back over to them to collect it from them.

“You have two wallets?” Kurt asked, squinting at the billfold on the table in confusion, once the waiter had left again.

“Huh?” Blaine wondered. He took note of Kurt’s eyeline and added, “Oh, that. No. That’s my badge. I always carry that with me – whether I’m on duty or not. For safety reasons, I only keep my badge and Police ID in that billfold; I won’t keep any money or anything personal in there.”

“Safety reasons?” he replied.

“If I get mugged, I can hand over my entire wallet without giving my badge to a criminal or alerting them to the fact that I’m a cop,” Blaine answered. “Or if I need to identify myself as a cop for some reason, I won’t have to worry about personal items being seen or lost when I flash my badge.”

“Ah, okay.” Pointing at Blaine’s badge billfold, Kurt asked, “Do you mind if I look at that?”

Blaine smiled at him and shook his head. “Not at all. Go right ahead.”

Kurt picked up the billfold and opened it cautiously. He gently traced the contours of the badge before glancing up at Blaine quizzically. “Your badge is silver? I thought police badges were gold?” After asking the question, he looked back down at the billfold and began examining Blaine’s ID card.

“Depends on your rank; Officers are silver,” Blaine told him. “But you’ve seen my badge before. It’s always attached to my uniform shirt while I’m on patrol.”

“That’s your actual badge on your shirt? I thought it was just an insignia pin or something,” he said, closing the billfold and handing it back to Blaine.

“Nope, that’s my actual badge. Attached to my uniform and visible while on duty; carried in this billfold while off duty,” Blaine replied.

“Do you carry any other police equipment while off duty? Or just the badge?” Kurt wondered. “I mean, you don’t have your gun on you right now, do you?”

“I _rarely_ ever have my gun with me when I’m off duty,” he answered. “Right now it’s locked in my safe at home. But as far as other equipment…I tend to carry handcuffs with me constantly.”

“Kinky,” Kurt replied, playfully.

Blaine began choking on air at Kurt’s comment, blushing profusely. “Not how I intended that to sound…but, um, okay.”

\---

The waiter returned to their table yet again, and Blaine hurried to sign the credit card slip. He placed his card back in his wallet after the waiter left then looked over at Kurt. “Ready to leave?”

Kurt nodded at him and they left the restaurant. “I’m sorry if my comment back there…um, about the, uh, handcuffs…if that made you uncomfortable. Sometimes I speak before I think.”

“No,” Blaine replied, shaking his head. “I wasn’t uncomfortable. Just caught off guard. I wasn’t expecting that kind of reply. While I’m not opposed to kinky uses of handcuffs, that’s not why I carry them, so my mind didn’t even consider it might be interpreted that way.” Lowering his voice to a husky whisper, he added, “But if you must know…when it comes to _non_ -regulation uses of handcuffs…I actually prefer to be the one that’s _in_ cuffs.”

Kurt bit his lip then smirked at him. “I’ll keep that in mind; especially since I quite enjoy _putting_ others in handcuffs.”

Blaine smiled and ducked his head in response. After a moment, he asked, “Mind if I shift the mood slightly to ask a serious question?”

“Sure, what is it?” Kurt replied, sincerely.

“Since you mentioned there being a ‘next date’, I need to know if my job as a police officer is going to be a problem for…well… _us_?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Kurt wondered.

“I know it’s usually customary to _avoid_ the topic of previous relationships while on a first date, but…” Blaine began, “my job is why my last relationship ended. That relationship ended over 3 years ago, so I am _definitely_ over him, but the _reason_ that it didn’t work has made starting a new relationship difficult for me. My ex didn’t like the risks that came with the work I do. He thought I was being unfair to him, intentionally putting myself in potentially dangerous scenarios every day, making him worry about me all the time. I was given an ultimatum: him or my job; I chose my job. It’s just…I know you _seem_ okay with me being a police officer right now, but I don’t know if you’ve considered all that comes with that or not.”

“I actually have given that some thought,” Kurt told him. “Oddly enough, it was my brother’s wife that pointed out those risks to me – and trust me, if you’ve ever met Rachel, you’d understand how strange it is that _she_ was the one to bring it up. Anyway, what she said made me think. And I came to the conclusion that it’s something that I’m willing to endure. I know it probably won’t be easy; but if you’re willing to accept the risks of your job, then there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to.”

\---

Kurt and Blaine arrived back at the Nell Theatre and paused outside the gate to the side entrance. “I had a really great time today,” Kurt told him. “If I didn’t have to work tonight, I’d ask to extend this date. Find something else to do; like go to a movie or a museum or something.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Blaine replied.

“You said your next day off is Sunday?” he checked. When Blaine nodded in confirmation, Kurt continued, “What about Saturday? Would you be open to going out after work on Saturday? Like, say, 7 or 8 pm? Or would you prefer to wait until your day off? Because I have an idea in mind, but I think Saturday works better for it than Sunday would. And Since you have Sunday off, you’d be able to stay out past 10 pm, right?”

“Yeah, that sounds great,” Blaine agreed. “I’m _scheduled_ to leave work at 4:00; so unless there is a huge unavoidable catastrophe, I should definitely be free by 7:00. What did you have in mind?”

Kurt got a mischievous glint in his eye as he smiled at Blaine. “Let me check a few things out first, and I’ll get back to you on that. But you should leave your Saturday night open. And remember, it’s my treat.”

“Ooh, a mystery date! I’m intrigued,” he replied, flirtatiously.

“You should be!” Kurt said, laughing. He reached out for Blaine’s hand, turning his wrist so he could read the time on Blaine’s watch, then let out a soft sigh. “I really need to get ready for work. But before I do that, there’s something else I need to do first.” Blaine arched an eyebrow, silently asking what he meant, just as Kurt tugged on the hand he was still holding, pulling Blaine toward him while surging forward to press his lips against Blaine’s.

Blaine immediately began kissing him back with just as much fervor as Kurt was exhibiting. The kiss was brief but passionate. When the kiss broke, Blaine leaned his forehead against Kurt’s and kept his eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath. “Holy fuck, that was hot,” Blaine said, breathlessly. He opened his eyes and pulled back just enough so that he could look at Kurt.

Kurt was smiling brightly at him. “Glad you thought so too. I’d been wanting to do that all day.”

“You should have. All day. Just that. Who needs food when kisses like that exist?” Blaine replied, still feeling dazed.

“You’re ridiculous,” Kurt told him. “But I should really go inside now. I’ll see you Saturday?”

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “Text me later. Or call. Either one.” Blaine leaned in and gave Kurt a quick, chaste kiss. “Have a good evening, Kurt.”

“I’ll try.” Kurt turned toward the gate’s electronic keypad and punched in his access code. The lock buzzed and he pushed the gate open. Just before stepping into the narrow alley, he stopped and looked back at Blaine. “Goodnight, Blaine.”


	6. Chapter 6

Late Saturday afternoon, Blaine was sitting at his desk finishing up some paperwork when David approached him. “Hey, Blaine, I know you’re off duty soon, but a few of us are gonna go to the pub and grab a drink after me and Wes clock-out in a couple of hours. We’ll be heading over there around 6:00 or just after. You wanna come?”

Blaine smiled up at him and shook his head. “Sorry, man. Tonight doesn’t work for me.”

“Why not? Got a hot date?” David teased.

“Actually, yeah, I do,” he replied.

David gaped at him for a second before asking, “Seriously?” When Blaine nodded at him, David continued, “You never mentioned you were dating anyone. How long have you and this guy been going out? Or is this, like, a first date?”

“Tonight is actually our _second_ date,” Blaine said. “I only just started seeing him this week. But nothing is _official_ yet, so I’ve been trying to hold off on telling people about him until I was a little more sure of things. Didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up – especially my own.”

“Alright, well, in that case, I’ll forgive you for not telling me about him sooner,” David replied. “But I want to know the second that relationship status changes.” David then gave Blaine a serious look. “How does he feel about you being a cop? He does know, right? It’s just, after what happened with Ryan…”

Blaine put a hand up to stop David from continuing. “He knows. The first time I ever spoke to him, I was in full uniform. We’ve talked about it. He understands the risks that come with the job, and he’s actually okay with it. Not okay as in, like, unconcerned or anything; more like he’s _accepting_ of the fact that potentially endangering myself is an unavoidable part of the job. He told me that if _I’m_ willing to endure the risks, then there’s no reason _he_ shouldn’t be able to. As long as I _want_ to be a cop, then he will support my decision to _be_ a cop.”

“Sounds like a keeper to me,” David said.

“God, I sure hope so,” Blaine mumbled under his breath.

Sebastian walked over to them and took a seat at his desk across from Blaine. He narrowed his eyes at the two men, looking puzzled. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Oh, David was just telling me that some of the guys are gonna hit up the pub for a drink after work,” Blaine replied.

“You mean that sports bar with the watered-down beer? Ugh! No thanks; I’ll pass,” Sebastian said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He opened a folder and began scanning the contents, clearly done with the conversation.

As soon as Sebastian looked away, David gave Blaine a questioning glance, to which Blaine subtly shook his head, silently telling him not to mention his date. David gave him a half-shrug and a nod then walked back to his own desk.

\---

On his way out of the station after his shift, Blaine was stopped by Wes and David. “Blaine, wait up a sec!” Wes called. Blaine waited for them to catch up to him, giving them an inquisitive glance. Once they were standing close enough to talk without being overheard, Wes continued, “Is everything okay between you and Sebastian?”

Blaine scrunched his face up in confusion. “Yeah. Why?”

“Because it seemed like you didn’t want him knowing about your date earlier,” David replied. “And that just seemed odd to me. I know you told me you wanted to wait until the relationship was a little more established or whatever, but I find it strange you’d purposefully avoid telling Sebastian about it if you were willing to tell me. He’s your friend and your partner after all. And when I mentioned it to Wes, he thought it was strange too. So, we thought we should ask you about it.”

“Of course you told Wes.” Blaine sighed, running a hand over his face before responding. “I had, somewhat reluctantly, told Sebastian that I started seeing someone the other day, after he kept pestering me about why I appeared to be in an overly good mood during Thursday’s patrol. He didn’t react well. He started asking me all sorts of questions about the guy – where and when I met him, how much I know about him, whether or not I’ve run a background check on him yet. And when I gave vague answers or, in some cases, refused to answer, Bas got pissed. When I told him I was planning on seeing the guy again, Sebastian demanded to meet him to ‘check him out’. I know he’s just trying to look out for me, but I don’t want his protection. And I hate saying this, but I thought that if he knew I was going to see this guy again _tonight_ , he might try to tag along or follow me there or something.”

“He seriously asked you if you ran a background check on this guy?” Wes asked.

“Yeah. And he was dead serious about it too. I told him I wasn’t wasting police resources to investigate someone for personal gain, _especially_ if they have given me no reason to be suspicious,” Blaine told him. “But according to Bas, I’m a gullible moron when it comes to attractive guys – I no longer know how to think rationally. I know that all of my past relationships have failed miserably, but _none_ of the guys I’ve dated have ever been criminals; so I’m not telling Sebastian anything else about my dating life until he learns to back off and let me make my own mistakes.”

“Damn…” Wes replied, shaking his head in disbelief. “But he’s never done that before when you’ve gone out with a guy, has he?”

“I don’t often talk to Sebastian about the dates I go on; not that I’ve been on that many dates since that mess with Ryan happened,” Blaine began. “But sometimes, when I do mention a guy or something I did on a date, Sebastian will suddenly get a little wary. However, it’s always after-the-fact and I’m usually _complaining_ about the guy or the date itself when that happens. I mean, most of the dates that I’ve been on have been a total bust; hardly any of them have resulted in a second date.

“But this guy that I’m seeing now… This is the first time since college that I’ve actually been this excited over a date with a guy.” He looked back-and-forth between Wes and David then added, “I think, maybe, Sebastian wasn’t too concerned about the guys I’ve dated in the past because he could tell my heart wasn’t in it or something. But now he can see that I’m becoming invested in this new guy, so he’s just trying to make sure I don’t get hurt.”

“I don’t know,” David said. “That doesn’t really sound like how Sebastian normally operates. I think you may be giving him too much credit there.”

Blaine chuckled and nodded. “Maybe I am. It was just the only thing that seemed to make sense.”

“Nah, I’m gonna go with David on this one,” Wes said. “That doesn’t sound like Sebastian to me. I think he probably wasn’t concerned before because when he found out about the date, it had already happened, and you weren’t planning on seeing the guy again. But, uh, back to the earlier question…even though Sebastian is acting like a total dick about this whole thing, you guys are still getting along okay?”

“I’m used to Sebastian acting like a total dick; it’s not like it’s a new concept or anything,” Blaine said, shrugging. “As long as we avoid the topic of my personal relationships, he and I get along just fine. And I’m okay with that. I don’t usually like talking to him about that type of stuff anyway. We’re _work_ partners, he doesn’t need to know about my private life. But, hey, I gotta run. I got a date to get ready for.”

“Oh, right! Okay, well, have a good time,” David said.

“I will,” he replied, smirking.

\---

Once Blaine got home, he rushed around his apartment to get ready for his date with Kurt. He and Kurt had been texting with each other every day since their lunch date. They decided to get dinner at a restaurant near Times Square that they both like. After dinner, Kurt planned to continue their date in a surprise location. He told Blaine that he came up with the idea based off something that Blaine had told him he enjoyed.

Blaine would once again be meeting up with Kurt at the theater. On his way there, he stopped at a florist to pick up a small bouquet for Kurt. When Blaine arrived at The Nell, he didn’t see Kurt outside, so he pressed the ‘Apt 1’ doorbell next to the gate.

“Hey, Blaine!” Kurt’s voice sounded through the intercom.

“Um, hi,” he said, sounding surprised. “How…”

“Look up, silly,” Kurt said, laughing. Blaine glanced up; at the top of the gate was a security camera pointing down at him. After Blaine smiled and waved at the camera, Kurt continued, “I’m running a little behind schedule. Do you want to come in and wait upstairs while I finish getting ready? I can buzz you in.”

“Yeah, okay; sounds good,” he replied.

“Apartment entrance is through the second door,” Kurt said. “Oh! And make sure to push the gate closed once you’re in, otherwise the lock might not latch in place.”

The gate buzzed, so Blaine pushed it open and stepped into the side alley, doing as Kurt requested and making sure that the gate was tightly shut behind him. As soon as he reached the apartment entrance, the lock on the door buzzed, allowing him to pull it open and enter the small foyer; then Blaine took the stairs up to Kurt’s apartment.

Kurt had opened the door to greet Blaine as soon as he knocked. “Hi,” he said, breathlessly, giant smile on his face while also holding a barking Oscar back by the collar. Breaking eye contact with Blaine, Kurt looked down at Oscar and said, “Oscar, heel, boy. Quiet. No, do not jump on Blaine; be nice to him.” He looked back up at Blaine again, smiling apologetically. “Sorry about him; he tends to get excited when I have company. I like your outfit; you look really cute.” As soon as Oscar was sitting still at Kurt’s side, Kurt released his collar, gave Blaine a quick kiss hello, then motioned him into the apartment. “I promise I’m almost ready. I’ll only be another minute or so, so we won’t miss our reservations or anything.”

“It’s fine; and Oscar isn’t bothering me,” Blaine assured him, offering a hand to Oscar to sniff at. “Oh, and these are for you,” he added, presenting Kurt with the bouquet of flowers that were in his other hand.

“You bought me flowers? That’s so sweet; thank you,” Kurt said, lifting the bouquet up to smell the fragrance of the flowers and hide his blushing face. “I’m gonna go put these in water and finish getting ready. You can take a seat on the couch if you’d like. Um, you don’t mind if Oscar stays out here with you, do you?”

“Not at all,” he replied.

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” Kurt said, turning around and hurrying out of the room.

\---

When Kurt returned to the living room a few minutes later, Blaine lost his breath. “Wow…you look incredible,” Blaine said, after a moment of staring. “I had thought you looked good earlier when you answered the door, but wow, you look _stunning_.”

“Thank you,” Kurt replied, bashfully. “We, um, we should probably get going. Don’t want to be late.”

“Right, of course,” he agreed.

Kurt turned back to Oscar, pointing at him sternly. “Behave yourself while I’m gone. And stay out of my closet. I know the smell of new shoes is tempting, but if you chew them, you _will_ be sorry, understand?” Oscar made a whining sound in response. Kurt smiled at him and kissed the top of his head. “Good boy.”

The two men left the apartment and began the short walk to the restaurant, hand-in-hand. On the way there, Blaine brought up a question that was on his mind. “So, the gate on the alleyway next to your building…has that lock always been so temperamental? Is that why you have the security camera overlooking it? Sorry if that sounds like a weird question. I guess it’s just the police officer in me being concerned about safety and security.”

“No, it’s alright. I understand.” Kurt replied, shaking his head. “The camera at the gate – and the ones in the alleyway – are actually there for the benefit of the theatre. Whenever there is a production going on, the cast and crew use the side entrance – the other doorway in the alley, next to the one for my apartment foyer. But I’m not about to give dozens of _temporary_ personnel an access code to come and go as they please. So, the camera is used in conjunction with the intercom so that the guard in the theater security office can verify who is at the gate before letting them in; that way a random stranger off the street can’t just read a name off a playbill into the intercom and gain access. I had a second monitor installed upstairs because I like to see who is at the gate when I don’t recognize a person’s name or voice.

“As for the lock…” he continued, “that just started acting up the other day. I don’t know what happened to it. But I had the repairman come out to look at it yesterday. He said he needed to order a whole new lock-kit thing or whatever it’s called for it. It unfortunately can’t be fixed until _next_ Monday – or possibly later, depending on how long it takes for the parts to come in. Until then, I just have to try to remember to firmly close the gate each time I go in or out, so it will latch; instead of just letting the gate swing closed on its own like I usually do.”

“Ah, okay. At least it will be repaired soon. And I guess it’s good that the theater doesn’t have a big production going on at the moment either – just those one-off events you’ve been hosting,” Blaine said. “That way, you don’t have to _constantly_ worry about if someone will shut the gate or not whenever they get buzzed in.”

\---

Their dinner was filled with lots of lighthearted, flirty conversation. After dessert, Kurt paid their bill then led Blaine outside to the nearest subway station.

“So where are we off to?” Blaine asked, as they boarded their train.

“Chelsea,” Kurt replied, giving him a sly grin.

“Oh, we’re headed to my neck of the woods, are we?” he checked. “Hmm…any hints you can give me about what we’ll be doing once we get there?”

Kurt gave him a confused glance before he answered, “ _Your_ neck of the woods? What do you mean by that? You don’t live in Chelsea, do you?”

“I do,” Blaine confirmed. “But you’re deflecting. So, hints?”

“No; no hints will be given,” Kurt said, playfully. “But back to the whole, you living in Chelsea thing… I guess I just assumed you lived in the Theatre District or _really_ close to it. It’s just…you keep referring to it as ‘your community’, so I thought that meant you lived here too. Did you just move to Chelsea or something?”

“I call the Theatre District ‘my community’ because that’s where I work,” Blaine answered. “It’s the area I’m responsible for when I patrol. And, honestly, since I joined the force, I spend more time there then I do in my own neighborhood. But no, I didn’t just move there. I’ve been living in the same apartment since I first moved to New York.”

“How has this never come up in our conversations before?” he wondered. “Not that it makes a difference or anything, just curious.”

“You know, I honestly don’t know the answer to that,” Blaine replied, shrugging. “Are you sure I can’t have any hints? Not even a street name?”

Kurt laughed and shook his head. “Nope. You’ll find out when we get there.”

\---

Kurt appeared anxious as they approached their destination. Suddenly he came to a halt on the sidewalk, cautiously looking over at Blaine. “Okay. We’re here. So, what do you think?”

Blaine tore his eyes off of Kurt and quickly looked around to figure out where they were – his eyes lighting up as they landed on the sign next to the door beside them. “You brought me to a karaoke bar?” he said, surprised.

“Is that okay?” Kurt asked, apprehensively. “It’s just, you said that you don’t sing anymore unless you’re at a karaoke bar; and I’ve been curious to hear you sing since you mentioned it. I thought it could be fun, so I figured, why not? Did I make a mistake? Should we go somewhere else instead?”

“No, no, no, Kurt, sweetie, it’s fine,” Blaine reassured him. “I was just surprised, that’s all. I had forgotten that I told you I like to sing at karaoke bars. After all, it was said as an offhanded remark when you handed me a flyer for the fundraiser you were hosting. I’m actually surprised you remembered that. But, no, this was definitely _not_ a mistake. I’m actually kind of excited about it to be honest.”

“Okay, good,” Kurt said, relieved. “And of course I remembered it. When a cute guy in uniform tells you he can sing, he instantly becomes ten times more attractive. So, naturally, a comment like that is gonna stick in your head.”

“Is that so? Does it only work for guys in uniform? Or does this apply to guys in general?” Blaine wondered, giving Kurt a cheeky grin.

“It applies to all good-looking guys. But the ones that are good-looking _and_ in uniform get extra bonus points,” Kurt replied, flirtatiously. “Come on, let’s go grab a table.” He pulled Blaine into the building and over to the hostess stand.

“Am I going to get to hear you sing at all?” Blaine asked, once they were seated at their table. “After all, you were accepted into NYADA, so I know you _can_ sing. Or was coming here just a way for you to evaluate whether or not I deserved those extra bonus points for mentioning that I can sing?”

“First, you will be evaluated,” Kurt said, trying – and failing – to sound serious. “And if you pass your evaluation, then there is a _chance_ I will grace your ears with the sound of my voice.”

“Had I known I was going to be tested, I would have done some proper vocal warm-ups,” Blaine told him. “Oh, and before the alcohol starts flowing, I should mention that I will most likely need your help in monitoring my alcohol intake.”

“Okay…” he began, warily, “May I ask why? Are you not allowed to drink for some reason? Or does alcoholism run in your family? Or you just don’t like drinking? I’m not judging. I just want to know what I should be looking out for.”

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Blaine replied, waving off Kurt’s concerns. “I don’t drink very often at all, and as far as I’m aware, no one in my family is an alcoholic, so it’s not because of addiction reasons. And there’s no medical reason that I can’t drink. I only say that I need monitoring because I am a total _lightweight_ when it comes to alcohol. After only two beers, I tend to lose count of how many drinks I’ve had and think every drink thereafter is my second one; so, I’m horrible at keeping track of exactly how much I’m actually drinking on my own. And also, I will warn you now, anything more than three drinks and I turn into a horny drunk. So, three drinks is my cut off point because I’m still trying to trick you into thinking I have a decent amount of decorum, and I’d rather not get too sloppy tonight if I can help it.”

“Decorum is overrated,” he said, smirking. “As long as you can sing, that is. But I will help you monitor your drink intake, so that way your attention doesn’t stray.”

Blaine’s eyebrows rose as he smiled at Kurt, looking at him with intrigue. “Is that so?” he asked, playfully. “And,” he paused to give a quick glance around the room – briefly appraising the other patrons – before looking back at Kurt, “judging from what I can see in this room, there is no way my attention could stray. Not when I’m on a date with the most beautiful man in all of New York.” Blaine reached across the table and took hold of Kurt’s hand, lifting it up to his lips, and placed a small kiss on the top of it before placing it back down on the table.

“Keep saying things like that and I may ‘accidentally’ lose count of how many drinks you’ve had,” Kurt replied, breathlessly.

\---

“Okay,” Blaine said, after finishing the last sip of his first beer. He placed the empty bottle on the table and looked at Kurt seriously. “Time to go sing.”

“I hope you are referring to yourself,” Kurt replied. “Because I brought you here so that I could listen to you sing, not the other way around.”

“Of course I was referring to myself,” Blaine told him. Giving Kurt his best puppy dog eyes, he added, “But I do hope that you will also sing a little later. Pretty please?” He stuck out his lower lip, pouting, as he intensified his puppy dog eyes.

Kurt gaped at him with a slack jaw for a few seconds then said, “Those puppy dog eyes of yours should be _illegal_. Actually, I’m pretty sure they constitute a form of coercion. You are a cop; you should know better than to break the law so carelessly.”

Blaine reached into his interior blazer pocket and pulled out his handcuffs. He let them dangle off of a single finger as he held them in front of Kurt while smirking. “Then maybe you should arrest me.”

“Oh my god,” Kurt mumbled, hiding his bright red face in his hands. Looking back up at Blaine, Kurt rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Put those away, please. You weren’t kidding about being a lightweight, were you? You have only had one beer. How are you already this tipsy? Beer doesn’t even have that much alcohol in it.”

“True,” Blaine said, putting his handcuffs back in his pocket. “But that vodka martini you’re drinking has a _very_ high alcohol content, and you gave me a few sips of it. Also, I’m not even tipsy yet. Just pleasantly buzzed. Which means… I should go sing now.”

“Choose a good song,” Kurt told him, as Blaine got up from the table to head over to the stage area.

Blaine selected his song then looked straight at Kurt, winking at him, before the music started.

_I've been meaning to tell you_  
_I've got this feelin' that won't subside_  
_I look at you and I fantasize_  
_You're mine and tonight_  
_Now I've got you in my sights_  
_With these hungry eyes_  
_One look at you and I can't disguise_  
_I've got hungry eyes_  
_I feel the magic between you and I_  
_I want to hold you so hear me out_  
_I want to show you what love's all about_  
_Darling tonight_  
_Now I've got you in my sights_  
_With these hungry eyes_  
_One look at you and I can't disguise_  
_I've got hungry eyes_  
_I feel the magic between you and I_  
_I’ve got hungry eyes_  
_Now I've got you in my sights_  
_With those hungry eyes_  
_Now did I take you by surprise_  
_I need you to see_  
_This love was meant to be_  
_I've got hungry eyes_  
_One look at you and I can't disguise_  
_I've got hungry eyes_  
_I feel the magic between you and I_

After Blaine sang his song he sat back down across from Kurt, looking at him expectantly. “Well, did I pass?”

“With flying colors,” Kurt told him, smiling brightly. “In fact, you actually surpassed my expectations.”

“Does that mean I get to hear you sing now?” Blaine asked.

“Hmm…” he tilted his head to the side while tapping a finger to his lips, thinking about how to respond. “I think I need another drink before I can go up on that stage.”

\---

Once their second round of drinks were gone, Kurt decided it was finally time to show off a little. “Alright, I think I’m finally ready to go put on a show.”

“Ooh, then I will sit right here and prepare to be amazed,” Blaine told him.

Kurt then got up to walk over to the stage to select his song. As the opening notes of Mariah Carey’s _‘Emotions’_ began to play, Blaine gasped in shock and watched Kurt with rapt attention. When the song ended Blaine was clapping furiously while whistling in approval. Kurt tried not to laugh at Blaine’s reaction as he sat back down in his seat.

“Oh. My. God. That was incredible!” Blaine said, gazing at Kurt in awe. “I have to admit, I was a little nervous at first, because it’s Mariah Carey, and she has an insane vocal range, and with this being karaoke, you can’t exactly change the key of the music so that it’s better suited for your voice. But wow… You managed to sing that _flawlessly_ – in its original key no less. Also, I appreciate that you didn’t attempt the whistle-notes, but instead you dropped those notes down a few octaves, so that it was more manageable, yet still on key and in tune. But even with those notes lowered, you were still singing at an _impressive_ range. I mean…” he trailed off, making a ‘mind blown’ gesture.

“You are adorable,” Kurt replied, giggling and blushing. “Thank you for that glowing performance review. I appreciate the high praise.”

“You deserve all of it and more,” he said, seriously.

After listening to several other patrons try their hand at singing, and another round of drinks, Kurt gave Blaine an apprehensive look before he asked, “Did, um… did you want to sing again? Or did you want to leave?”

“I think I’m done singing for tonight, but I really don’t want this date to end,” Blaine answered.

Kurt bit his lip and hesitantly replied, “It doesn’t have to. If you want, you could come back to my place, maybe?”

Smiling brightly, Blaine looked at Kurt full of adoration while nodding. “I would really like that.”

The two men quickly settled their bar tab then hurried out of the building toward the subway.


	7. Chapter 7

Blaine awoke early Sunday morning with his head pillowed on Kurt’s chest. Even though he was suffering from a mild hangover, he sighed in contentment, snuggling closer to Kurt. After a few moments of resting comfortably, Blaine lifted his head to look at Kurt’s face. Using just his index finger, he gently brushed Kurt’s hair out of his eyes while smiling at him adoringly.

“Are you watching me sleep?” Kurt mumbled, groggily, to Blaine; the corner of his lips twitching up into a smirk as he peeked at Blaine through a tiny slit of his mostly closed right eye.

“Maybe,” Blaine replied, flirtatiously. “You look so peaceful when you’re asleep; it’s a beautiful sight to behold.”

Kurt chuckled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and rolling on his side to face Blaine. “You’ve already gotten into my bed. You don’t have to keep sweet-talking me.”

“I’m not saying that because I want sex. I’m saying it because it’s true, and you deserve to hear it,” Blaine told him, sincerely.

“Oh, so you don’t want any more sex?” Kurt asked, playfully.

“Now, I didn’t say _that_ ,” he replied, adamantly. “All I said was that I wasn’t complimenting you _in_ _exchange_ for sex. I most definitely want more sex…with you, of course.”

Kurt laughed out loud before leaning in so that he could kiss Blaine deeply. “Then I suppose you are in luck. Because I also want more sex with you; right now,” he said, rolling on top of Blaine once the kiss broke. Kurt began kissing and nibbling on Blaine’s neck while rolling his hips down into Blaine.

Blaine moaned as he arched his back, pressing himself closer to Kurt. “You can have whatever you want as long as you keep doing that.”

“What if I just want you?” Kurt asked. “As in, like, an official, committed relationship? Is that something you would want?”

“Yes; absolutely,” he replied. “I was going to ask you that same question over breakfast, but your way works too. Now can you please stop teasing me and just fuck me already?”

“Oh, alright,” Kurt answered, faking reluctance. “But only because you mentioned eating breakfast, and I’m starting to get hungry.”

Blaine giggled and replied, “Whatever you say,” before craning his head up to kiss Kurt again.

\---

Blaine stared at the ceiling, panting and trying to catch his breath. “Wow…and I thought last night was intense,” he muttered.

Before Kurt could form a reply, Oscar could be heard whining and scratching at Kurt’s bedroom door. “Oh, shoot. I need to take him outside before he makes a mess on my floor,” Kurt said, getting up out of the bed. As he tossed on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, he added, “I’m just gonna bring him out to the alleyway. I’ll only be a few minutes. Feel free to shower while I do that. You can use any of the products that you see in there too. Oh, and there’s an extra toothbrush in the medicine cabinet above the sink that you can use.”

“Okay. Thanks,” Blaine replied. He got up and walked over to Kurt, giving him a quick kiss just before Kurt left the room. Looking around the room, Blaine collected his discarded clothing then headed into the bathroom to shower.

When Blaine exited the bathroom after completing his morning routine, he followed the sound of Kurt’s voice to the living room. “Sorry, buddy, no park today. I promise I’ll make it up to you though,” Kurt said, quietly, to Oscar.

“You don’t have to skip out on your morning run because of me, you know,” Blaine told Kurt. “I could head home…or I could join you. I like jogging.”

Kurt visibly startled at Blaine’s voice. “Jeez, you scared me. I didn’t hear you walk in.” He got up from where he’d been kneeling on the floor in front of Oscar and walked over to Blaine. Placing a gentle hand on Blaine’s bicep, Kurt looked at him with a soft expression. “I appreciate that, but it’s not necessary. I would really like to spend more time with you before you go home for the day, and I’m okay with not going running this morning. I mean, those clothes you have on aren’t exactly suitable for a run…and you’ve already showered. Plus, I can always go running on my treadmill later if I need to; though, I’m pretty sure I already had a decent workout this morning. But thank you for offering.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Blaine agreed. “I just don’t want my presence to be the reason that you avoid doing something that you enjoy.”

“I enjoy doing _this_ too, you know,” Kurt replied just before leaning in and kissing Blaine.

Blaine made a soft hum of contentment when the kiss broke, smiling adoringly at Kurt. “Mmm, I _love_ it when you do that.”

“That’s good because I plan on doing it a lot,” Kurt told him. “However, I really need to go shower now. We can discuss breakfast when I’m done. But in the meantime, there is a freshly brewed pot of coffee in the kitchen.”

\---

When Kurt returned to the living room, Blaine was sitting on the couch, drinking coffee and petting Oscar – who was lying next to him with his head pillowed on Blaine’s lap. “Comfortable?” Kurt asked, giggling.

“I am actually,” Blaine replied.

“Well, at least I don’t have to worry about the two of you not getting along,” he said. “Which is good, because he can get a little overprotective of me at times. But anyway, about breakfast… I can make waffles? Or pancakes? Omelets?”

“What if…” Blaine began, “I take you out for breakfast?” Checking his watch, he amended his question. “Or I guess brunch, rather?”

“I have to be at work by 2:00, but what did you have in mind?” Kurt replied.

“I was thinking, there is a café near my apartment that I love going to. It has a great atmosphere and really delicious food,” Blaine told him. “I’m sure we’d be able to get there, order, eat, and get you back here in plenty of time. And since it is so close to my place, we could stop by there first, that way I can change out of yesterday’s clothes before we go out to eat.”

“Sounds good to me,” he agreed. “Is it weird if I say that I’m looking forward to seeing where you live?”

“No, not weird,” Blaine replied. “But I will warn you now, I didn’t pick the place out; my aunt did. My apartment, or condo rather, was a graduation gift from my whole family – parents, grandparents, all of my aunts and uncles… they all chipped in to buy it for me. I never even saw the inside of it until the day I moved in. So, try not to judge me too hard on how… _excessive_ the place is.”

“Excessive?” Kurt questioned.

“You’ll understand when you see it,” Blaine answered, nodding and sighing.

“I am both nervous and intrigued,” he said.

\---

“Oh. Wow,” Kurt said, slowly, as he followed Blaine off the elevator – that opened directly into Blaine’s apartment – and down the hallway into the living room. “So, when you said your apartment was ‘excessive’ what you really meant was ‘enormous’.”

“I also meant ‘unnecessarily extravagant’,” he replied, motioning Kurt to follow him. Blaine opened the curtain in front of the wall of windows with a French door leading outside to a private terrace.

“You have an outdoor patio? Not just a small balcony, but an entire _patio_?” Kurt asked in awe. Stepping outside, he looked around with wide eyes. “I’m pretty sure this area alone is bigger than my entire apartment. Do you share this with your neighbors? Or is this just for you? Just asking because I see another set of doors down there.”

“I can assure you that your apartment is _larger_ than my terrace. And those doors lead to my bedroom,” Blaine answered. “My apartment is the only one with access to this space; I don’t have to share it with anyone. But speaking of my bedroom… I really should go change now. Feel free to look around and explore. I’ll only be a minute.”

Kurt nodded in agreement, so Blaine walked down to the second set of doors that Kurt had pointed out to get ready for their brunch date.

\---

After they left Blaine’s place, the two men then walked over to the café and were seated at a table by the window. While Blaine and Kurt were eating their meals, Blaine’s phone chimed with an incoming text. He quickly glanced at the screen to see if it was important, then began chuckling and shaking his head. Blaine then placed the phone back on the table without replying to the message. Looking up, he noticed Kurt giving him a questioning look. “It’s my friend, David,” Blaine supplied. “He’s another officer in my precinct. He just sent me a text – that included a bunch of inappropriate and highly suggestive emojis – asking me how my date was last night.”

“Ah…and how _was_ your date last night?” Kurt asked, flirtatiously.

“Technically, I’m still on it,” Blaine answered, waggling his eyebrows. “But in all honesty, it was one of the best dates I’ve been on in a really, really long time.”

“Same goes for me,” Kurt told him. “So, is David your partner then? I can’t remember if you ever told me his name or not.”

“Oh, no. No, my partner’s name is Sebastian; although, I think when I mentioned him to you before I called him Bas. David, however, is a regular officer in our division – he’s not a part of the Bicycle Unit. He and his partner, Wes, do patrols in the same neighborhood as us though; they’re usually the ones that escort anyone that Sebastian and I arrest back to the station for processing since we can’t exactly transport people on our bikes,” he said. Blaine paused before adding, “I’m actually sort of dreading telling Sebastian that you and I are an official couple now. I’ll probably wait a little while before I say anything to him, just to avoid listening to him complain.”

“Really? Why? I thought you had said that your coworkers didn’t give you any hassles about your sexuality?” Kurt asked, curiously.

“No, it’s not my sexuality that’s the issue,” Blaine began. “That isn’t a problem for him. Why would it be? He’s gay too. The problem is that we have very different views on relationships, and very different tastes in men. I’m just not looking forward to hearing him tell me I can do better than you or asking why I bother with monogamy.”

“I see,” Kurt said, tersely.

Blaine squinted at Kurt, confused by his sudden change in mood. “Wait. What just happened? One second you’re smiling, the next it’s like you completely shut down on me.” A split-second later, his eyes lit up with understanding. “Hang on. You’re not jealous of Sebastian, are you? _Please_ tell me you are not jealous. Because I swear to you, there is absolutely _no_ reason for that. _At all_.”

“No? Then why is this the first time that you’ve mentioned that your _partner_ – the person you spend the majority of your day with – is gay?” Kurt asked, giving him a pointed glare.

“Because I didn’t think it was important,” he answered. “I’ve only mentioned him a couple of times, but it was always in the context of _work_ , so his sexuality wasn’t a factor. I mean, how many times have you mentioned your coworkers’ sexualities to me when you talk about them? Never.” Blaine could tell that Kurt was looking for a flaw in that explanation, so he hurried to add, “Look, Kurt… I, unfortunately, do have to spend a lot of time with Sebastian every day, but I promise you: even though I do consider him to be a friend, our relationship is strictly professional. I am _so_ not attracted to him at all. I never have been.”

“Okay. I believe you,” he said, somewhat reluctantly. Blaine let out a sigh of relief and thanked him with a kiss to the top of Kurt’s hand. “But I have a question…” Kurt hurried to add. “How do you have a quote-unquote ‘strictly professional’ relationship with someone that you consider a _friend_?”

“I try really hard to limit my off-duty time spent with him,” Blaine began. “Unlike some of the other officers that I’m friends with, Sebastian is around me about 90% of the time I’m at work. I have to spend so much time with him while I’m working that being around him – _when I don’t have to_ – can be bothersome at times. But even though I do refer to him as a friend…my friendship with him…it’s a _superficial_ one. It’s all small-talk and conversations about day-to-day life, or work – nothing _deeply_ personal. Unless it will somehow have an impact on my ability to do my job, or I am directly and specifically asked about something, then I usually don’t discuss personal topics with him. I mean, the _only_ reason he knows about what happened to me when I was a teenager, about why I transferred schools, is because it’s the cornerstone of why I wanted to be a police officer – it influences my decision making skills in the field.”

Kurt nodded in understanding. “That makes sense. And you’re _sure_ you don’t find him attractive at all?”

Blaine carefully considered his words before answering. “Finding someone attractive and being attracted to them are two different things. I would consider Sebastian to be a mildly attractive person. But I am definitely _not_ attracted to him in any way. His smug – and somewhat pompous – personality completely negates his appearance. I could never be romantically or even sexually involved with someone like him; not even casually.”

“If his personality is so abhorrent, how do you work with him?” he questioned. “Why be friends with him?”

“While he _is_ arrogant and egotistical, he’s not _all_ bad,” Blaine began. “Sebastian is extremely smart, determined, and good at his job. He’s also not ashamed of who he is or where he came from. Although, that can sometimes be a negative thing too considering he comes from an _extremely_ wealthy family and was a spoiled, entitled, rich kid. Actually, he still is a spoiled, entitled, rich kid. He barely knows how to use a stove and his parents pay for a maid service to clean his house and do his laundry for him twice a week.” Blaine paused to shake himself out of going off on a tangent. “Anyway!” he continued. “As you may have guessed after seeing my apartment earlier, I am also familiar with what it’s like to grow up in an affluent, upper-class family; though, my family isn’t nearly as aristocratic as his. I was also taught different morals, to have empathy and compassion. But the thing is, I grew up _surrounded_ by people like him – people that think they are better than everyone just because they have more money. Over time, I learned how to pick my battles with them. I know when to press an issue, and when it’s a lost cause. I am friendly with Sebastian because I can usually understand his mindset. I’m used to dealing with people like him. Our partnership isn’t perfect, but it works.”

“Isn’t police work considered to be a ‘blue collar’ job though? Why would someone from a ‘white collar’ background pursue that line of work? I mean, I get why _you_ chose the path that you did. But, from what you told me, he’s not like you. So why would a spoiled, rich kid want to be a police officer?” Kurt asked.

“Power,” Blaine answered, simply. “He enjoys ordering people around and telling them what to do. He initially was going to be a lawyer, until he flunked out of law school – not because he didn’t understand the material or anything, but because he thought his classes were boring and stopped going to them. Rather than pursue a completely different ‘white collar’ career path, he just took all his knowledge of local and state laws and applied it in a new way – enforcing laws instead of advocating them.” He watched as Kurt’s eyes lit up in understanding while slowly nodding at Blaine’s explanation. Blaine began speaking again before Kurt could continue with his questions. “But I really don’t want to talk about him right now; especially not when I’m on a date with my beautiful, wonderful, _amazing_ boyfriend.”

“Oh, well, in that case, maybe you should tell me more about this boyfriend of yours,” Kurt replied, playfully. “He sounds like a real catch.”

“He definitely is,” Blaine agreed, smiling at him adoringly. “I’m a very lucky guy.”

\---

Once they had finished eating, Blaine paid the bill then they walked back toward Blaine’s apartment. They stopped on the sidewalk outside of Blaine’s building. “I would love to invite you back upstairs to continue this date with a movie or something, but I know that you need to get back to the theater and get ready for work,” Blaine said.

“I’ll call you on my break later,” Kurt told him.

“I’d like that,” he agreed. “Thank you for walking me home.” Blaine then kissed Kurt sweetly and wished him a good day at work.

“Anytime,” Kurt said, smiling at him bashfully before turning around and walking toward the subway.

Blaine went inside and took the elevator up to his apartment. Once he was seated in his living room, he finally decided to respond to David’s text message.


	8. Chapter 8

When Blaine arrived at the station Monday morning, he went about his regular routine, feeling like something wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t until he and Sebastian were silently riding toward the park after leaving the coffee kiosk that he realized Sebastian had barely spoken a word to him all morning. “You’re unusually quiet today. Is everything okay?”

“Are you seriously not going to tell me about your weekend?” Sebastian replied, in disbelief. “You’re just going to pretend _nothing_ happened?”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, confused by Sebastian’s response.

“I was running some errands in your neighborhood yesterday,” Sebastian began. “I saw you through the window of that restaurant sitting with that twink from the park. Care to explain?”

“Explain what? Why I was having brunch with my boyfriend?” Blaine wondered.

“Boyfriend? What the fuck?” Sebastian bellowed. “How the fuck did that happen?”

“I believe you were the one that told me that I should try hitting on him while off duty, instead of just ogling him while on duty, correct?” Blaine answered. “Well, after you said that – later that same day, in fact – I ran into him while I was off duty and had a very pleasant conversation with him. One thing led to another and, well, here we are. I told you on Thursday that I was seeing someone; _and_ that I was planning on going out with him again. I don’t get why you’re acting like this is the first you’re hearing about it.”

“Because you didn’t tell me that the ‘guy’ you were ‘seeing’,” Sebastian mocked, making exaggerated finger-quotes, “was the Betty White lookalike that you’d been lusting after for the past couple of weeks; nor did you tell me he was your _boyfriend_. That’s why. Plus, I’m pretty sure I said that you should only hit on guys that are actually hot – not some androgynous entity with a serious case of the gay face.”

“The fact that you just called him a ‘Betty White lookalike’ and an ‘androgynous entity’ in the same breath is the exact reason I didn’t tell you _who_ I was dating, or that I went out with him again this weekend,” Blaine said. “And I didn’t mention that he was my boyfriend before because, _at that time_ , he wasn’t. We only made the relationship official yesterday.”

“You started an exclusive relationship with him after talking to him for a _week_?” Sebastian asked. “How much do you even know about this guy? Have you done a proper background check on him yet? You have a habit of falling for assholes, are you sure this guy isn’t just using you?”

“I told you before, I’m not going to do a background check on him,” Blaine reminded him. “And I know _enough_. I don’t need to know his entire life history before I date him. I would much rather learn things about him and his past in a natural, organic way than through some unnuanced informational document. Besides, what exactly do you expect a _police_ background check on him to find anyway? A pile of unpaid parking tickets? I highly doubt that, since he doesn’t own a car.”

“Maybe he doesn’t own a car _because_ of those unpaid parking tickets. Ever think of that? And you never know what kind of things you’ll find until you check, now will you?” Sebastian retorted. “Because the only things you ‘know’ about him, are the things that he’s told you. Every single thing he’s told you, could very well be a blatant lie. But you’re just going to take everything at face value instead of doing your due diligence to make sure he is who he says he is. Look, Blaine, I just have a bad feeling about him, that’s all. He doesn’t strike me as someone that you should trust. And my gut feelings about people are never wrong. That’s why I’m so damn good at my job. I can tell the guilty from the innocent with a single glance. And he doesn’t look the innocent type.”

Blaine scoffed at him. “Your gut feelings are never wrong? Bas, you let your personal biases cloud your judgment all the time! And even if you didn’t, the only times you’ve ever seen him were when he was jogging through the park with his dog on his morning run, or when he was eating brunch with me. Each of those times lasted only a few seconds each and were observed from afar. You’ve never even spoken to him before. There is no way you could _possibly_ judge his character based on that alone,” he said. “You _literally_ know nothing about him. You don’t even know his name! I, on the other hand, have actually spent time with him; I’ve talked with him, texted with him; I’ve been to his apartment. He has given me absolutely no reason to distrust him. And since I am _also_ very good at my job, I’m going to trust my _own_ gut reactions on this one – and trust him. If, for some reason, trusting him is a mistake…well, it’s _my_ mistake to make. If you don’t like that, too bad. It’s my relationship, not yours. Who I date does not affect my job, and therefore does not affect _your_ job. And speaking of our job…can we drop this nonsense and get back to work now?”

“I’m telling you: he’s trouble and you _need_ to watch your back. But fine. Whatever. Subject dropped. For now,” Sebastian agreed, reluctantly.

\---

While on their lunch break, Sebastian stared at Blaine expectantly once they were seated. “Well?” Sebastian asked, as Blaine took a bite of his sandwich.

Blaine arched his eyebrow at him while making a face that asked ‘what?’ as he continued to chew.

Sebastian sighed, rolling his eyes at him. “Well, we’re on lunch break, which means we aren’t working right now, so are you gonna tell me more about your new boytoy or what?”

Placing his sandwich back into the serving basket with more force than necessary, Blaine glared at Sebastian and let out an annoyed huff. “No. My personal relationships are not up for discussion. Especially if you’re going to continue to insult him every time you mention him.”

“Well, maybe if you told me _his name_ , I wouldn’t have to find alternative words to call him,” Sebastian countered, pointedly.

“I haven’t told you his name because you keep insisting on doing a background check on him,” Blaine said.

“Unless he has some extremely obscure first name, I won’t be able to do jack-shit with _just_ that information, so you might as well just tell me,” he replied.

Blaine thought about it for a second before replying, “Fine. His name is Kurt.”

“Is that spelled with a ‘C’ or a ‘K’?” he asked. Blaine glared while raising an eyebrow at him, which caused Sebastian to relent slightly. “Fine, don’t tell me. You probably don’t know the answer to that yourself anyway.” Shaking his head, Sebastian softened his voice and added, “I’m just worried about you. You don’t know _anything_ about him. You have a really bad habit of falling for the wrong guys. I’m just trying to make sure you don’t get hurt. I have a very bad feeling about this one – something is _off_ about him.”

“Falling for the wrong guys? Really? In the entire time you and I have known each other, I’ve had _one_ boyfriend – not including Kurt – and have only gone on a handful of dates,” Blaine told him. “But just because most of those guys that I went on dates with didn’t get a second date – and the ones that did didn’t stick around much longer than that – doesn’t mean there was something wrong with them; it just means that we weren’t _compatible_. And I know that my relationship with Ryan ended badly, but he _wasn’t_ a bad person.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna have to stop you right there,” Sebastian said, putting up a hand to stop Blaine from continuing. “That douchebag you call your ex…he dumped your ass while you were in the hospital. So don’t give me that bullshit about him not being a bad person.”

“He didn’t _dump_ me,” Blaine began.

Once again, Sebastian cut him off. “Oh, _sorry_ ,” he said, sarcastically. “He gave you a fucking _ultimatum about your relationship_ while you were in the hospital. Like that’s any better!”

“He just didn’t know how to handle seeing me hurt,” Blaine said. “I think he thought that getting injured on the job might finally change my mind about the work that I do. He was hoping that I’d realize that the risks aren’t worth it. He was wrong, but…” he shrugged and let out a soft sigh, “but even if Ryan was a ‘bad person’, that doesn’t make him – or any other guy I’ve dated – a criminal; which is _exactly_ what you are suggesting Kurt is.”

“You’ve only known him for a week. You don’t know that he’s not a criminal,” Sebastian countered. “You’re trusting him to tell you the truth about who he is and what he does. He’s just someone that you saw running through the park and – _wrongfully_ – thought was hot. What about that gives him the right to your trust?”

“This, coming from the guy who repeatedly goes home with guys he’s only just met and sometimes doesn’t even know the name of? That’s rich,” he replied, rolling his eyes at Sebastian.

“I’m not trying to start a _relationship_ with any of them though,” Sebastian argued. “I’m a lot more diligent about the people I let into my life. But those guys I go home with…I only want them in my bed. Why should I care who they are or what they do, when all I’m interested in is sex? The only things I care about are if they are good looking and/or good in bed. And _‘Kurt’_ doesn’t even meet either one of those criteria.”

“Are you saying you’ve slept with him before?” Blaine challenged, raising an eyebrow.

“Fuck no!” he exclaimed, looking offended.

“Then you have no idea what he’s like in bed. You don’t know that he doesn’t meet your shallow criteria. He could be the best damn thing you’ve never had, and you wouldn’t have a clue,” Blaine told him, smirking. “I also think you’re wrong about him not being good-looking. But to each their own, I suppose. As for why I believe him – why I _trust_ him – well, he hasn’t given me a reason _not_ to.”

“You’re wrong about this – wrong about _him_ ,” Sebastian said. “You’re just too blind to the truth.”

“Unless you have any _proof_ of that, this conversation is over,” Blaine told him, tersely.

Sebastian snapped his mouth shut, glaring at Blaine. For the remainder of their shift, he was withdrawn – appearing deep in thought – in a way that Blaine was unused to seeing him. It was a little unnerving for Blaine, but at the same time, he welcomed the reprieve from Sebastian’s interrogation.

\---

The next morning, Sebastian continued to give Blaine the silent treatment until after they had been patrolling around the park for a few hours. The two men were stopped by a confused tourist as they were exiting the park to continue their patrol around the streets of the Theatre District. While they were giving the woman directions, Kurt and Oscar jogged past them. Blaine gave him a quick smile and wave before continuing to answer questions that the tourist had. Once the tourist thanked them and walked away, Sebastian turned to Blaine, finally breaking the silence between them.

“I still don’t know what you see in him,” Sebastian said, motioning his head toward the direction that Kurt had gone in.

“That’s because you don’t _know_ him,” Blaine replied. “You think that just because you personally find him unattractive that means he must _also_ have an ugly personality, and that’s just not true. You’re assuming the worst about him just because you don’t like the way he looks.”

“So, change my mind,” he challenged, raising an eyebrow at Blaine.

“What?” Blaine asked, squinting in confusion.

“You heard me. Change my mind,” he repeated. “Tell me about him. Give me a reason to believe you – to believe that he’s not a bad person.”

Blaine sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face. “Fine. What do you want to know? But keep in mind I will not answer anything too personal – he deserves to have his privacy respected.”

“Alright. Let’s start with something easy then,” Sebastian began. “What does he do for work? What’s his job?”

“He owns and operates his own company,” Blaine answered. “But I will not say which one or what the specific field of work is because I know you’ll just use that information to look him up so that you can do a background check on him. And before you even suggest it, yes, I do know the exact name of the company _and_ what he does there.”

“He owns his own business? Seriously? _Him_?” Sebastian asked in disbelief. “And you’re sure that he _actually_ owns it? He’s not just some janitor, or some other lowly peon, _pretending_ to own the company to make himself seem important?”

Blaine gave him an exasperated glare before answering, “100% positive. His name and photo are not only on the company website, but he’s also been mentioned by name as the owner and administrator by several reputable sources in that industry.”

“Where the hell did someone like him come up with the kind of cash needed to start a business?” Sebastian questioned. “Unless it’s some stupid fake-ass company wannabe – like an Etsy store or some shit – he would need to have some _serious_ bank to get a business off the ground; and from the looks of him…he’s not someone that comes from money. So, where did the money to start a business come from?”

“Are you really judging the size of his _bank account_ on his physical appearance?” Blaine asked, dumbfounded.

“Oh please!” he scoffed. “His clothes look like they came from a thrift shop dumpster. Of course I’m judging his bank account on what I see!”

“You mean the clothes you see him wearing while he’s _jogging_ in the park? Those are his _workout_ clothes, Bas,” Blaine told him. “Of course Kurt’s not going to wear his expensive, designer clothing while he works-out and gets sweaty.”

“Just because they are workout clothes doesn’t mean they have to look like he stole them off of a homeless person,” Sebastian argued. “And besides, the outfit he was wearing when I saw him out with you the other day wasn’t that great either.”

“Oh, _come on_ , Bas! That’s a load of bullshit and you know it,” Blaine said.

“Whatever,” Sebastian replied, waving off Blaine’s remark. “My point was: he doesn’t dress like someone who comes from – _or currently has_ – money. He’s lucky if his wardrobe can make him pass for middle-class. And honestly, why would you want to date someone that can barely financially support themselves? That’s just asking for them to use you as a sugar daddy.

“Also,” he hastily continued before Blaine could reply, “as someone who does come from a wealthy family, I happen to know _a lot_ of the people in my tax bracket that live around here. I am certain that he’s not one of them – one of _us_. Your new man is not someone that…has _dealings_ …with people of _our_ social class. And because of that, I need to question where this money for his business came from. Because it seems to me like it might have come from illicit sources.”

“First of all, he’s actually older than me; so there is no way I could be his sugar _daddy_. Secondly, it doesn’t matter if he does or does not come from money. Money has never been a factor in determining whether or not a person is worth dating; at least, not for me it hasn’t,” Blaine told him. “And as for where the money for his business came from, that is none of your business. Kurt’s personal wealth, his family’s assets, and his financial transactions are all elements of personal information that do not concern you. But, since you can’t seem to wrap your head around people who weren’t born with silver spoons in their mouths having jobs that pay more than minimum wage, need I remind you that bank-issued business loans are a thing that exist.”

“Well, I think that little tirade just proves my point that he didn’t have the capital to front this company on his own and you don’t know where the money came from; which really isn’t helping your case in making him look good, Blainey,” Sebastian retorted.

“Oh my god,” Blaine muttered under his breath. “You are so fucking elitist. I’m done talking about this.”

“Fine, I’ll just skip to the next set of questions,” Sebastian said. “Where did he go to college? Or rather, _did_ he go to college?”

“Yes, he graduated from college,” Blaine replied, rolling his eyes. “He just so happens to have graduated from a very prestigious – _highly exclusive_ – academy in his field of work here in New York. Yes, I know the name; no, I will not tell you; and yes, I am 100% positive he actually attended and graduated from there.” Blaine sighed heavily before continuing, “Look, Bas, he has given me absolutely no reason not to trust him. I’m not saying that Kurt is a perfect angel that has done nothing wrong ever, but he’s also not this… _monster_ …that you are trying to make him out to be. He’s a regular human being with flaws, just like everybody else. And maybe you can’t trust him yet because you don’t know him. That’s fine. But you know _me_. So trust _me_ when I say Kurt is _not_ a bad guy.”

“I can’t do that,” Sebastian replied, apologetically. “Blaine, you trust people too easily. You are always so busy looking for the good in everyone that you usually overlook the bad – even when it’s right there in your face. Right now, you can only see the good things because that’s what you _want_ to see. And if you weren’t such a naïve idiot, you’d be able to see that Kurt’s just not _good enough_ for you.”

“I’m not _that_ naïve, and I’m definitely _not_ an idiot,” he snapped. “I know that there are people in this world with no morals. I know there are people who let prejudice, ignorance, and bias control their actions. I know there are some people that think they are above the law – and in some cases, people that believe they _are_ the law. I have been victimized by all of these people before. And it wasn’t because I was a naïve, innocent child looking for the good in others. I didn’t turn a blind eye to the things they said and did before I became a victim. I _knew_ they couldn’t be trusted. I _knew_ they weren’t good people. I saw the signs. I knew what was coming. I just wasn’t powerful enough to stop it.

“I am a cop – _and a damn good one_ ,” Blaine continued, “because of people like them. Yes, I like to think that everyone has some good in them somewhere, but that doesn’t mean I overlook the bad things they do. I also don’t give my trust to just anyone either, like you believe. And I know you think I put too much faith in the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ motto – and maybe I do – but that doesn’t mean I’m incapable of suspicion or doubt. If something – or someone – doesn’t look right, seem right, or feel right, I’m not going to brush it off; but I’m also not going to automatically assume the worst either. I become much more alert when things don’t add up as they should. I’m more cautious. I keep my wits about me while I try to figure out what it is that is off or wrong about the situation – making sure that any assumptions that I _do_ make have _evidence_ to back those claims up.

“Right now, you have no evidence, just your own suspicions; and ‘innocent until proven guilty’ means that I don’t have to prove shit to you. But hey… If you _honestly_ believe that there is something off about Kurt…then fine…I promise I’ll be a little more mindful and critical of things that are said and done from now on, but I’m _not_ going to just write him off without any evidence to support your claims about him. And I really don’t want to hear any more of your skepticism and mistrust about my boyfriend. We are done talking about him. Period. Got it?”

Sebastian clenched his jaw, but before he could respond their radios alerted them to a call. “Bicycle Unit Three-Eleven, do you copy? Over.”

“This is Bicycle Unit Three-Eleven, we copy; over,” Blaine replied.

“Backup is requested at The New York Times Building, 242 West 41st Street,” Dispatch responded. “Repeat: backup is requested at 242 West 41st Street; over.”

Blaine and Sebastian turned their bikes around, switched on the flashing police lights, and began heading toward the address specified. “Copy that. 242 West 41st Street. Bicycle Unit Three-Eleven en route. ETA: two minutes. Over.”


	9. Chapter 9

Wednesday morning, Blaine was sitting on his terrace with his laptop and a cup of coffee, when his phone rang. Looking down at the caller ID, he smiled seeing his boyfriend’s name across his screen. “Good morning, beautiful,” Blaine said, cheerily, into the phone once the call connected.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” Kurt replied.

“Kurt, it’s 11 am. Of course I’m awake,” Blaine told him.

“True, but it’s your day off,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if you would be sleeping in or something. What are you up to right now?”

“I don’t think my body knows how to sleep in past 8 am,” Blaine joked. “Right now, I’m just sitting on my terrace, enjoying the sunshine and messing around on my computer while drinking coffee. But I thought you were supposed to be working right now? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is great actually,” Kurt replied. “My assistant manager, Elise, called me earlier while I was on my jog, and she asked if we could swap shifts because she had something unexpected pop up that she needs to go to tomorrow; so I’ve suddenly got the _entire_ day off. And I was hoping that since you’re not working today, you might want to have lunch with me.”

“I would _love_ to have lunch with you,” Blaine said, the smile on his face audible through the phone. “Did you have anything specific in mind?”

“Staying in, so we can cuddle and watch a movie while we eat?” Kurt suggested. “I don’t care if it’s takeout or we make something. We don’t even have to watch a movie if you don’t want to. I just don’t want to go out to a restaurant.”

“I think that sounds great. Let me just change my outfit then I’ll head over to your place,” Blaine told him.

“Actually, would you mind if I came over to your place instead?” Kurt checked. “I may not want to go out to a restaurant, but I do want to get out of my apartment for a little while.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Blaine replied. “I would love for you to come over here. You can even bring Oscar if you’d like, so he doesn’t have to stay home alone.”

“Are you sure? Oscar is a big dog, and you have a lot of expensive things in your apartment. You wouldn’t be afraid that he might break something? Or get into something that he shouldn’t?” Kurt wondered.

“Not really,” Blaine told him. “Oscar listens to you; he’s very well behaved. And I’m not sure that anything that’s easily breakable is located somewhere that he could get to without some difficulty.”

“Well, in that case, I guess you will be seeing both of us shortly,” Kurt said.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he replied. “I’ll call down to the lobby to let the doorman know to expect you.”

\---

When Kurt and Oscar arrived, Kurt sat with Blaine out on the terrace while Oscar explored his new surroundings. The two of them turned on some music, then Blaine used his outdoor grill to grill up some chicken breasts that had been marinating in his refrigerator since last night. While they were chatting and enjoying their meal, Blaine’s phone pinged with an incoming text. Looking at the screen, he groaned as he read the message to himself.

**To Blaine > From Sebastian:** If you happen to see/speak to your boytoy today, remember your promise. Don’t take anything he says at face value. He can’t be trusted. He is either using you for your $$ or your job or both

“Is everything okay?” Kurt asked, concerned.

“Yeah. It’s just Sebastian being a dick,” Blaine answered.

“Your partner? You’re not being called into work, are you?” he wondered.

Blaine shook his head. “No, I don’t have to go to work. Bas is just being a pain in my ass…as usual.”

“I’m confused,” Kurt replied, hesitantly. “I thought you said you were friends with him? But now you’re saying that he’s a constant pain in your ass? I don’t get it.”

“I also told you that my friendship with him was very superficial – that he’s not someone I’m very close to,” Blaine told him. “Most of the time, I can tune him out when he begins spouting bullshit. But sometimes, he runs his mouth a little _too_ much, so it’s hard to ignore. Bas is _very_ elitist. He lacks manners and respect when it comes to people that he deems ‘lesser’. And for some reason, he has it in his head that I can’t trust you.” He paused to sigh, shaking his head. “I’ve tried reasoning with him, but it doesn’t matter what I say to him because he thinks I’ve been brainwashed. And no matter how many times I tell him to ‘shut up, mind his own business, and stay out of my personal relationships’, he continues to prattle on, insulting you at every turn. I don’t know how much more of his idiotic conspiracy theories I can take. If he keeps this up, I’m seriously contemplating going to my Captain and asking to be reassigned, so I don’t have to be his partner anymore.”

“That’s crazy!” Kurt exclaimed. “I get that, in your line of work, you need a partner that doesn’t annoy you and get on your nerves; so, if he’s really bothering you _that_ much, asking for a new partner that doesn’t drive you crazy makes sense. But everything else you just said? _None_ of that makes any sense. I mean, why would Sebastian have a problem with _me_? I’ve never even met him before. What would make him think that I can’t be trusted? And what do you mean he thinks that you’ve been brainwashed? By who? Me? How? Why? For what reason? I’m just…I don’t know.”

“Remember how I said that I was going to wait before I told him that you and I were dating? Because he and I have different tastes in men, and I didn’t want to hear him tell me that I could do better than you?” Blaine said. “Well, part of that was because I already knew he didn’t approve of you even before we started dating. He had caught me checking you out while you were jogging in the park one day, and basically told me you weren’t attractive enough to warrant my attention – which I think is complete bullshit, but anyway… He ended up finding out about us sooner than I’d have liked, because he saw us having brunch on Sunday, and he has been giving me shit about you ever since.

“I had _thought_ that his initial dislike of you was because you didn’t meet his standards of physical appearance when it comes to guys that _he’ll_ hook up with; therefore, he believes I shouldn’t waste my time on you. But it apparently goes beyond that,” he continued. “Like I said earlier, he’s elitist. In his eyes, if you’re not wealthy, you’re not worth knowing. And Sebastian says that he can tell just by looking at you that you don’t come from money. Therefore, he believes that you _must_ be using me for my bank account. He even made some comment about me being your sugar daddy.

“The other thing that he comments on…” Blaine pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes while sighing heavily. He looked back up at Kurt apologetically before continuing, “He thinks that you might be a criminal that is using me for access to police resources and intel. He keeps getting on my case and _demanding_ that I do a background check on you; he can’t do it himself because I won’t give him your last name or any other vital info that he needs to do one – otherwise, believe me, he would have done one already. According to him, even without the background check – he _knows_ you are someone that can’t be trusted. He says that his ‘spot-on’ police intuition allows him to tell the good guys from the bad guys with barely even a glance; and supposedly you’re one of the bad guys, and I need to watch my back. Because he also believes that everything you’ve ever told me about yourself is a lie to make yourself seem more important and illustrious, and that I’m blind to all of your nefarious activities because you’ve brainwashed me into thinking with my dick instead of my brain.

“I honestly have no idea where these insane thoughts of his are coming from. I’ve tried reasoning with him. I’ve tried ignoring him. None of it works. And now he’s sending me text messages on my day off, when I thought I’d have a brief respite from his delusions. I just can’t win with him.”

Kurt sat there staring at Blaine in disbelief. “I’m not even sure I know how to react to that. I’ve had people judge me on my appearance before, but usually it’s to make assumptions about my sexuality or my knowledge of certain topics – like cars and sports – not about whether or not I have a criminal record…which I _don’t_ , by the way. My father is a congressman. If I had a criminal record, people would know about it.”

“Kurt, sweetie, you don’t have to try to convince me that you’re aboveboard; I never took Sebastian’s accusations seriously,” Blaine told him. “But it’s my day off, so I _really_ don’t want to think about Sebastian or his crazy conspiracy theories. If nothing changes with him by the end of the week, then you and I can talk about this again in more detail, and I’ll decide if I really do want to ask my Captain for a partner reassignment. Until then… I’m just going to ignore this text and enjoy my time with you. On the phone you said something about cuddling and watching a movie…?”

Kurt took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, before smiling and nodding at Blaine. “Okay. But we _will_ talk about this again. And not just because I am the subject of his absurd tirade; but because communication is important in a relationship, and I need to know what it is you are dealing with in order to help you deal with it. Otherwise, it could end up hurting both of us.”

“Deal,” he agreed.

“Now let’s get this mess cleaned up and head back inside to watch that movie,” Kurt said.

\---

Later in the evening, the two men worked together to make dinner. As they gracefully moved around each other in the kitchen, each focusing on their own tasks, Kurt began to sing softly to himself while he worked. When Blaine heard him singing, he stopped what he’d been doing and just watched Kurt with a smile on his face.

“What?” Kurt asked, when he finally realized Blaine had been watching him.

“Nothing,” Blaine answered, continuing to smile at him. “You just have a really beautiful voice, that’s all. I love hearing you sing.”

“Oh. Thank you,” he replied, shyly.

“You know, I don’t think you ever told me why you gave up on performing,” Blaine said. “I mean, I know you said that your love of the theater evolved to focus on other aspects, but I don’t think you ever explained how or why you went from wanting to be a performer to owning and operating a theater.”

Kurt sighed. “I got tired of the rejection. Even though I have the talent and the skills that were required for the roles I auditioned for, I don’t have the look that most casting directors want for those roles; nor do I have the right voice. I was always being told that my voice is too high, or I wasn’t masculine enough. Nobody was paying attention to what I could _do_. My entire audition would often get judged on the director’s opinion of me as I walked in the door, not what happened on the stage. I would either get passed over completely with barely even a second thought, or I was given an ensemble or chorus role instead. It was exhausting.

“Right around the time I was beginning to consider taking a short break from performing, my friend, Elliott’s – now ex – boyfriend, inherited The Nell from his great uncle. It hadn’t been used for anything in over a decade – it just sat empty. Even the two apartments upstairs were unoccupied. There was regular maintenance done to the entire building during those years that it was vacant, so it wasn’t run-down or falling apart or anything like that, it just wasn’t an active theater. One night, shortly after he acquired the property, we were sitting around my apartment talking about what he wanted to do with the place. When the idea of possibly re-opening the theater came up, I sort of jumped on the opportunity to help him out – taking on a large part of the work myself. I had been completely burnt out from all of my failed auditions; constantly being told ‘no’ and having my self-confidence and my self-esteem chipped away at, it was hard. I was ready for a change. And this just seemed like the perfect distraction. I was still involved in the theatre world; I just wasn’t putting myself through the wringer for little-to-no acknowledgment.

“Three months after The Nell’s grand re-opening, Toby – the guy that inherited the theater – was so frustrated and disappointed that the theater didn’t yield the revenue that he thought it should have, that he decided he wanted nothing to do with The Nell anymore, and planned to shut it down. By then, I was so invested in that job, and the work I was doing, I was heartbroken at the mere thought of it disappearing. I didn’t want to go back to being an unemployable actor. When I told him that, he said, ‘well, if you don’t want me to shut it down, you could just buy it from me, then you can do whatever the hell you want with it; you already do most of the administration work anyway, so it wouldn’t be that much different’. We talked it over in great detail for a few weeks and eventually worked out a deal. The fact that he considered it to be a failing business that was more trouble than it was worth and just wanted to be rid of it, combined with the fact that I had put in so much of my own time, effort, and energy into getting the theater up and running again in the first place, actually benefited me. Because he sold me the building and the company for a fraction of what it was actually worth.

“I almost didn’t buy it, even with the reduced price, because I wasn’t sure I could get a loan big enough to cover the costs. My dad and my sister-in-law, Rachel, both convinced me that I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. With their help, in addition to a hefty bank loan, I was able to afford to buy it. And I’m so glad that I did. I absolutely _love_ the work that I do there. As much as I love performing, I honestly feel like running that theater is what I should be doing,” he explained.

“I’m really happy that you found something that you love doing that _doesn’t_ negatively impact your mental health like all of those auditions did,” Blaine said. “But I’m also heartbroken and angry at all of those directors for overlooking you and not even giving you a chance. You graduated from NYADA. How could they see that on your résumé and not be impressed? It’s one of the best drama schools in the country; not to mention it has got highly selective acceptance criteria _and_ one of the most rigorous curriculums there is. You have to have an insane amount of talent just to get in, let alone persevere long enough to graduate with a degree.”

“I know,” he agreed. “But your average theatre-goer probably _doesn’t_ know that. Where I got my training doesn’t matter to them. What matters is what they _see_. And if I don’t at least _resemble_ the images they have in their head, then it becomes too difficult for them to see past that and believe I am the character that I’m portraying. And casting directors don’t want to hire people their audiences aren’t going to resonate with.”

“That’s crap. It’s _acting_. The actor and the character aren’t supposed to be the same person,” Blaine said. “People with British accents get cast as Americans all the time. It _is_ possible for someone to alter the way they sound so that the character doesn’t have the exact same voice as the actor portraying them. Also, hair, makeup, and wardrobe can radically transform a person’s appearance. So it shouldn’t matter what the actor looks like out of costume either.”

“Honey, you’re preaching to the choir here,” Kurt replied. “But none of that matters anymore because I have the theater now. I am a lot happier running The Nell than I ever was performing on a stage.”

“That’s good. I’m glad.” Blaine began to return to his dinner preparations but paused, giving Kurt a quizzical look. “Out of curiosity, you mentioned that your dad and sister-in-law helped to pay for the theater. I know their names aren’t listed as property owners, but do they have any say in the business side of things – like, how the theater is run?”

“My dad – in addition to being a congressman – is a small business owner himself. He owns and manages an auto garage in Lima. So sometimes he’ll give me advice on little things that could apply to _any_ business, not just a theater. But other than that, he stays out of the theater’s business dealings,” Kurt began. “Rachel on the other hand… She’s a Broadway actress. So, she loves to tell me what to do because she thinks she knows more than me. However, I have paid her back for every cent that she has put into that theater, so that I don’t actually have to listen to her so-called advice anymore. Before I paid her back, I would allow her to help me with certain tasks or let her take charge of a particular event if she wanted to. But now, I don’t allow her anywhere near the administrative side of things.”

\---

After dinner, Kurt and Blaine had taken Oscar for a walk. When they returned to Blaine’s apartment, they took a seat on the couch and began chatting about nothing in particular. “I’m curious about something,” Kurt began. “You don’t often talk about stuff that happens when you are at work – like, the calls you respond to, or the cases you work on… Is it just that you’re not allowed to? Or is it something else? Because I read about what happened at the NY Times building yesterday morning – with that group of angry protestors and the ‘suspicious package’ that was found. Your name was listed as one of the officers at the scene. But you haven’t mentioned it at all. I would have thought that since it could be reported on, that you should be able to speak about it. But maybe not?”

Blaine bit his lip, looking uncomfortable. “There are _some_ things that I can’t talk about – usually when it’s still an ongoing investigation. But, mostly, I am allowed to discuss things as long as I don’t give out certain specific details – like names of minors or something like that. However, I think I’ve just gotten into the habit of not mentioning anything at all because of my ex. Ryan would always freak out when I’d talk about work – especially with incidents like what happened yesterday. He hated when I was put in potentially dangerous situations, so I figured if I didn’t tell him about them, he wouldn’t have a reason to worry so much.”

Kurt placed a comforting hand on Blaine’s thigh and gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m not Ryan. I may not be a fan of you being in those types of situations, but I’d rather hear about them then pretend like they don’t exist. For me, I think _not_ knowing may actually do more harm than good. Remember what I said earlier about communication being important? I need to know what you are dealing with in order to help you deal with it – to help _myself_ deal with it. So, please don’t be afraid to talk to me about your day. Even the bad parts.”

Blaine smiled and nodded at Kurt. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t sure how you’d react to hearing something like that, and I didn’t want to scare you. I’m just so used to hiding anything that could cause someone to worry about me. But I promise I will try my best to be more open about things like that from now on. You may have to occasionally remind me that it’s okay to talk about though.”

“I will; don’t worry,” Kurt replied, smirking. “So, in the interest of being more open about your job… Did anything else _interesting_ happen at work yesterday? Besides your partner accusing me of being a criminal, and you having to respond to a scene where a bunch of angry men thought they could use a fake bomb to get their way?”

“Well, I got yelled at by a truck driver that didn’t appreciate the parking ticket I gave him,” Blaine said. “Then he kicked my bicycle over, so I arrested him. And before you ask, no, I was not on the bike at the time; so I was not hurt nor was I in danger of being hurt. But that’s about it. Otherwise, my day was pretty uneventful.”

“Your job is just one big adventure after another, isn’t it?” he said. Kurt then smiled softly at Blaine and added, “I’m glad you’re safe,” just before leaning in and kissing him sweetly.

When the kiss broke, Blaine gave Kurt a flirtatious smile and said, “Mmm…kisses like that are very good incentive to remain safe.” He then leaned in to kiss Kurt again.


	10. Chapter 10

On Thursday, there were several times throughout Blaine’s shift where Sebastian attempted to bring up Kurt, but Blaine immediately cut him off by mentioning something work-related to distract him. It took about six or seven attempts before Sebastian caught on to what Blaine was doing and stopped trying to force the conversation.

Friday morning, Sebastian made a few more jabs about Kurt’s appearance when he spotted Kurt jogging through the park; but, much to Sebastian’s annoyance, Blaine ignored the comments and didn’t respond to them. A little later in the day, when they were back at the station after processing an arrest, Blaine was sitting at his desk writing up an incident report, when his phone pinged with an incoming text.

The text was from Blaine’s mother. He smiled at his phone as he read about his cousin’s new engagement. Blaine sent a quick reply and placed his phone back on his desk.

“Let me guess…” Sebastian began, sneering at Blaine. “That was ol’ gayface checking in on you – wanting to know what you are doing to make sure it doesn’t interfere with his own illicit agenda? And of course, like the gullible prey that you are, you responded to him – giving him exactly what he wants; even though you shouldn’t be taking personal calls while you’re working.” 

Blaine couldn’t take the insults and accusations anymore, finally snapping at him. “Sebastian! Shut! Up!” he shouted, causing several other officers in the room to turn and look at him. “I am so fucking sick and tired of listening to your _bullshit_! I don’t know how many times I need to tell you to _stay out_ of my personal life before you fucking listen to me! I don’t give a shit about your opinions – _especially_ when you have no evidence to back up any of these stupid claims to begin with! So just _drop it_ , will you? Because I don’t wanna hear it anymore.”

“You’re making a mistake,” Sebastian growled under his breath.

“I disagree. But if it turns out you’re right, you can feel free to say _‘I told you so’_ ,” he retorted.

\---

When Blaine got home from his shift later that day, he removed his uniform, took a quick shower, then got dressed in his pajamas. After his shower, he collapsed onto his bed with his cell phone and dialed Kurt’s number.

“Hey there,” Kurt’s voice sounded through the phone as soon as the call connected. “I was just thinking about you.”

“Were you?” Blaine asked, flirtatiously.

“I was,” he confirmed. “I know you have to work early tomorrow morning, but I was thinking maybe you’d want to catch a movie with me tonight? That new Chris Hemsworth movie came out today, and I thought we could watch it together.”

Blaine made a soft groan of disappointment. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. Normally, I would be all over an offer like that. But I can’t tonight. I am way too exhausted right now. Work was completely insane today. I had to work straight through my lunch break, and I was still working an hour past the end of my shift. It’s only 7 pm and I’m already in my pajamas, that’s how drained I am. Plus, I told my mom I would Skype with her around 8:30 because my little cousin just got engaged and my mom wants to gush all about the proposal and her ideas for the engagement party that she’s throwing them.”

“That’s fine; we don’t have to go tonight. I was just curious. But are you okay? You said work was insane. Did something bad happen? To you, I mean? Or…?” Kurt checked.

“Physically, I’m fine. Emotionally…” Blaine trailed off, sighing. “We got a call for a noise complaint and I ended up having to contact CPS – Child Protective Services. I can’t go into details, but it wasn’t good. Then later, we pulled a guy over for a broken taillight, and he was high as a kite; so we had to arrest him for a DUI. When he saw my body camera, he got excited. He thought he was being filmed for a TV show – kept waving at my chest, saying ‘hi mom’ over and over.

“Oh yeah. And I also blew up at Sebastian today. At the station. In front of half the department. I had just received a text from my mom asking when I’d be available to Skype tonight, and Sebastian assumed it was you texting me. He made some stupid comment and… I just snapped. A little while later, after we had gone back out to patrol some more, he tried to bring up my outburst, and I told him that I was 100% done. I told him that this was his _final_ warning; the next time he attempts to talk to me about you, I _will_ go to the Captain and ask for a reassignment. He hasn’t mentioned you since. However, he became unusually moody and withdrawn; one minute he’d be hyper-focused on work, the next he’d be zoned-out, completely lost in thought. He’d actually been doing that a lot this week – ever since I confirmed to him that you and I were dating on Monday. But today, it seemed a lot more pronounced. It was really unnerving since it’s so unlike him; and I can’t help but get a bad feeling about the whole thing.”

“Oh gosh. I am _so_ sorry,” Kurt replied, sympathetically. “And not just about the Sebastian thing either. About all of it. I’m almost glad that you can’t give me details about why CPS needed to be called. I’m not sure I’d be able to handle it. I really don’t envy you having to deal with things like that.” Blaine made a soft hum of acknowledgment before Kurt continued, “Have you eaten at all today? You said you worked through lunch and stayed late, but considering the time, you couldn’t have been home for very long.”

“Yeah, I ate; sort of. I always keep granola bars in my bicycle bag in case of an emergency,” he answered. “And Wes, one of the other officers in my department, gave me a chicken sandwich from McDonald’s which I was able to eat at my desk while I worked. But I haven’t had dinner yet. I was just going to order some takeout and have it delivered.”

“Well, I haven’t had dinner yet either; so, if you are up for some company, I could pick up some takeout and join you at your place?” Kurt suggested. “Unless you’d rather be alone? After the day that you’ve had…maybe you want to process your emotions without an audience? I’m not really sure what you would prefer.”

“I definitely do _not_ want to be alone,” Blaine told him. “That’s why I called you as soon as I got out of the shower. Because normally, I work through my emotions by going to the gym or talking with others. But I’m too exhausted to work out right now, so I needed someone to distract me from my thoughts until I can Skype with my mom later. But if you are volunteering to come over here, I think I might just cry tears of joy.”

“Well then, that settles it. I’m on my way over there now,” Kurt replied.

They discussed what they wanted to eat, and Blaine placed the order online, so it would be ready by the time Kurt reached the restaurant; they stayed on the phone talking until Kurt reached Blaine’s building.

\---

By the time Kurt had left for the evening, Blaine was feeling lighter than he had all day. Spending time with Kurt, talking to him about anything and everything, receiving physical and emotional comfort from him, combined with his Skype chat with his mom, had really helped to improve his mood and ease some of the stress he’d been carrying from work.

During their video call, Blaine introduced his mother to Kurt. She had been told about Kurt after his and Blaine’s first date, but before they officially became a couple, and was thrilled at the opportunity to meet him. Several times throughout the call, Blaine’s mother had made comments or gestures to show her approval of Kurt, causing Blaine to blush profusely. Kurt had gone home not long after that Skype call ended.

After receiving a text from Kurt that he’d made it home safely, Blaine was laying in his bed, unable to wipe the smile off his face. His first date with Kurt was barely more than a week ago; but somehow, Blaine was almost positive that he was already in love.


	11. Chapter 11

Being at work on Saturday morning felt odd. When Sebastian wasn’t being quiet or moody, it felt like he was trying _too_ hard to act like everything was normal. As lunch time drew closer, Sebastian glanced over at Blaine and cleared his throat to get Blaine’s attention. “So, I was thinking…” he began, attempting to sound casual. “When we take our lunch break, we should go to that diner over on 44th – the one that has those fruit bowls you like.”

Blaine gave him a quizzical look. “Um…yeah, okay; I don’t have a problem with that. But, um, you’re not just saying you want to go there because you think it might help get you back on my good side, right? Because, as far as I’m concerned, we don’t have any problems as long as you stay out of my personal life. You know that, don’t you?”

“Maybe so,” he agreed, shrugging. “But choosing a lunch place I know you like doesn’t hurt either.”

Blaine chuckled and nodded. “Okay. I won’t argue with you on that one. After all, I _do_ really like those fruit bowls that they have there.” Silently to himself he added, _‘and the diner is directly across the street from Kurt’s building, so maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of him while we’re there’_. The two men then changed their course slightly so that they were heading in the direction of the diner as they continued their patrol.

\---

Just as they had reached the corner of 44th street, a squad car pulled up next to them. The passenger window opened, and David stuck his head out to talk to them. “Where’re you two off to?”

Jerking his thumb in the direction of the diner, Blaine replied, “We were just about to grab lunch? Why? You need us for something?”

“Nope. Just making sure we’re not overlapping each other,” David replied. “You been in this area long? Has it been quiet around here?”

“Well…” Blaine said, preparing to give the two officers in the cruiser a brief rundown of their patrol.

Sebastian cut him off with a loud groan. “Look,” he began, looking at Blaine, “I’m starving. So why don’t you stay here and catch these guys up, and I’ll go grab us a table and order some food?” Without waiting for a response, he tossed up a peace sign and rode away down the street.

“Is he alright?” David asked, eyes following Sebastian’s movements.

“I don’t know, man,” Blaine replied, shrugging. “He’s been acting weird all day. Actually, more like all _week_. Ever since he found out that I was dating Kurt.”

“I know you had told us that Bas seemed overprotective when you first started seeing Kurt, but he hasn’t eased up about that at all?” Wes asked.

“No. In fact, it’s gotten worse. That’s why I blew up at him at the station yesterday,” Blaine told them. “Even though he’s never met Kurt, he does know what he looks like – because Kurt goes jogging in the park every day while we are on patrol there. And Bas has decided that because he personally finds Kurt to be unattractive, that must mean that Kurt is using me in some way. It’s ridiculous.”

“That doesn’t even make any sense,” David said.

“I know! It’s –” Blaine suddenly stopped talking and whipped his head around at the sound of a gunshot followed by a loud, piercing scream and a howl. Wes, David, and Blaine were suddenly all on high alert. Blaine quickly flipped on the police lights of his bicycle and took off down the street, not bothering to check if Wes and David were following.

\---

As Blaine rode down the street, his heart dropped into his stomach when he noticed the gate to the alleyway of Kurt’s building was open, and the camera was knocked out of position, so it was now pointed up at the sky.

Bringing his bike to a stop, Blaine hopped off his bike, drew his gun from his holster, and entered the alleyway. “NYPD!” he announced. As he looked around, he saw two motionless figures. “Bas?” he asked, noticing that the first figure was Sebastian, sitting on the ground, legs sprawled out in front of him, gun drawn and pointed at the second figure. “Kurt!”

Blaine quickly holstered his gun and rushed to Kurt’s side. His eyes swept over Kurt’s appearance and gasped at the sight of his hands covered in blood. “Oh my god, Kurt, you’re bleeding! Where were you hurt?”

Kurt slowly turned to look at him with watery eyes and shook his head. “It’s not my blood,” he replied, softly.

“What?” Blaine said, not understanding him.

“It’s not my blood,” he repeated. “I’m not hurt.”

Blaine did a double-take and noticed Oscar laying on the ground whimpering in pain with a bullet wound near his hip. “Oh god; Oscar,” Blaine breathed out in shock.

David’s voice sounded from behind him. “Do we need to call a bus[2]?”

“No. It won’t do any good. We need a vet,” Blaine replied. “The dog was shot. He’s still alive. But he needs a vet _now_!”

“I can’t lose him,” Kurt cried.

“Kurt, baby, we’re going to do whatever we can to help Oscar out, okay?” Blaine said. “But I need you to try and remain calm. Can you do that for me?”

“Kurt?” Wes whispered to himself, looking back and forth between Blaine, Kurt, and Sebastian. “Oh fuck.” He took another look at Oscar and said, “There’s an emergency vet only a few blocks from here. I’ll take him in the squad car. David, can you help me with him and make sure there’s a blanket covering the back seat?” Wes gently, yet swiftly, lifted Oscar up and carried him out of the alleyway.

Kurt got up slowly and began to walk toward the road where the squad car was. Blaine reached out and gently took hold of Kurt’s arm. “Kurt, wait.”

“What? Why? I need to go with him,” Kurt replied.

Blaine shook his head. “Honey, no. I need you to stay here.”

“Oscar is my dog,” Kurt began. “He’s my responsibility. I need to be with him.”

“As your boyfriend, I understand and respect that,” Blaine told him. “As a New York City police officer that is trying to do his job, I am telling you: you need to stay here.”

“As a New…” Kurt started to repeat. “Wait. What?”

“Oscar was _shot_ ; which means this alleyway is a crime scene now,” Blaine said. “And you’re a witness. I need you to stay here so I can figure out what happened.”

Sebastian finally shook himself out of the trance-like state he’d been in since Blaine arrived, holstered his weapon, and growled out, “That damn mutt attacked me for no goddamn reason, that’s what happened!”

“You kicked him, you prick!” Kurt shouted back at him.

“Whoa! Calm down. Both of you,” Blaine said, glaring at Sebastian.

David returned to the alleyway, taking in the situation. “Oscar is on his way to the vet. They’ve been notified to expect him, so they’ll be ready for him when he gets there,” he told Blaine. He quickly looked around the alleyway again and asked, “What the hell happened here?”

“After I parked my bike in front of the diner across the street, I looked over here and saw the camera pointing in the wrong direction and the gate cracked open, so I decided to investigate,” Sebastian began explaining. “I saw a figure,” he pointed in Kurt’s direction, “lurking around those trash bins, acting in a highly suspicious manner. So I identified myself and asked what was going on. Then that stupid mutt charged at me, knocked me over, and tried to attack me. I couldn’t get the damn thing off of me; and your little boytoy over here wasn’t doing a damn thing to help. He was just watching with a smile on his ugly, gay face. Shooting the mutt was the only way to escape. It was self-defense.”

“You’re lying!” Kurt exclaimed. He looked over at Blaine with a pleading look on his face. “He’s lying. That isn’t what happened.”

Blaine gave a quick look between the two of them and nodded at Kurt. “Okay. So tell me what did happen then.”

Sebastian scoffed loudly. “You’re not actually going to listen to him, are you? You can’t possibly believe anything he says. This is a crime scene and he is a suspect. I am a cop. Why would you even contemplate hearing him out when I just told you exactly what happened?”

“Because _you_ are the one that fired your weapon, not him. You admitted to that,” Blaine told him. “This is private property – that _he_ owns – and _you_ are the one that doesn’t belong here. He’s not a _suspect_ of anything. He’s a _witness_. I need to hear both sides of the story. So shut your mouth until you are asked a question.” Looking back at Kurt, Blaine took a deep breath, and in a soothing tone he asked, “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Oscar needed to use the bathroom, so I brought him outside,” Kurt began. “As soon as I stepped outside, I saw _him_ in the alley. I asked him who he was and what he was doing here. He said he was ‘here on official police business and I needed to go back inside and mind my own business’. So I asked ‘what kind of police business? What’s going on?’. He took a few aggressive steps toward me and very angrily _demanded_ I go back inside. Oscar got in between us and growled at him in warning. And the bastard kicked him! So Oscar retaliated. Before I could even finish saying Oscar’s name – or even attempt to get Oscar off of him – he already had fired his gun into Oscar’s side. I screamed. Next thing I know, you’re here.”

“That is a load of bullshit and you know it,” Sebastian replied.

“Sebastian; don’t…” David warned him.

“Don’t what?” Sebastian asked him. “Don’t do my job? I’m a fucking NYPD officer! He’s just some nobody piece of shit I caught prowling around a bunch of trash bins! Why the fuck are any of you giving this lowlife the time of day?”

“This is _his_ property, Bas,” Blaine told him. “Even if you did spot him standing next to those bins, it wouldn’t mean anything because he owns them too.”

“He may live in this rundown, piece of crap building, but this alleyway is city property,” Sebastian replied.

“No, it’s not,” Blaine corrected. “It’s behind a locked gate because it’s _private_ property.”

Before Blaine could say anything else, Sebastian scoffed loudly. “Locked gate? Please! That gate wishes it could lock.”

“The locking mechanism is currently on the fritz; it’s scheduled to be repaired on Monday,” he said. “But even so, that doesn’t negate the fact that the gate is there in the first place. This strip of land is an extension of the theater. The city doesn’t maintain it, Kurt does.”

“Well, if it’s an extension of the theater then it’s not his property; it’s the theater owner’s property,” Sebastian said. “So, yes, him lurking around and acting shady _is_ a reason for me to be suspicious.”

“Kurt owns the theater. This entire building and its property are his,” Blaine reiterated.

“Then why the fuck was he out here acting like a damn criminal, snooping around a fucking trash bin?” Sebastian asked.

“Maybe he was taking out the damn garbage; but whatever his reasons are, they don’t matter,” Blaine said. “What matters is that you entered private property without a warrant and discharged your weapon, injuring a living being.”

“Are you deaf? Or are you just that brainwashed that you can’t understand what I’m saying?” Sebastian asked. “I had _probable cause_. I didn’t need a warrant. And I fired my weapon in self-defense.”

“Self-defense of what? You don’t have a single scratch on you, let alone a bite mark,” Blaine retorted. “You could have easily gotten Oscar off of you without shooting him.”

“Guys. Stop,” David said, getting their attention. “Let’s just go back to the station, fill out our reports, and we’ll get this all sorted out down there. Okay?”

“I’m not leaving here until I know what he was up to with those trash bins,” Sebastian said, glaring at Kurt.

“Fine, I’ll go check the stupid trash bins. Will that make you happy?” David asked him. Without waiting for a response, David walked over to the small cluster of trash bins and began looking around them for anything out of the ordinary. He was just about to walk away when he did a double-take at something behind one of the bins. “Uh, Blaine?” he said, hesitantly. “We have a slight problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Blaine asked. David motioned Blaine over to the bins and pointed at the object that caught his attention. “What the hell?” he muttered, staring at a small, open shoebox containing a handgun and dozens of small bags filled with white powder.

Keeping his voice low, so that only Blaine could hear him, David said, “We have to take Kurt in for questioning. Even if it’s not his, it’s on his property. He’s legally responsible for it.”

“I understand. But no one is arresting him until we know for _certain_ where that stuff came from,” Blaine replied. “ _Nothing_ about this situation feels right to me.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean,” David agreed. “Wes still has our cruiser, so I’ll call the station for transportation.”

“Make sure to get transport for Sebastian’s bike as well as Sebastian; because he needs to be taken into custody too,” Blaine said. “I don’t want him left unattended. I know we can’t arrest him for anything, but I want him to be treated as a person of interest, same as Kurt. Because I don’t buy his story for a second. There’s too many things that just don’t add up.”

“But you believe Kurt?” David checked.

“Yeah,” he said. “I think I do.”

\---

While David radioed in the call, Sebastian sneered at Blaine. “Looks like I was right about your little boytoy after all. I think that means you owe me an apology.”

“Not until we know where that stuff came from,” Blaine replied.

“What stuff? What are you talking about?” Kurt asked.

Blaine sighed, chewing on his lip for a moment. “There’s a shoebox behind the bins with what appears to be several ounces of cocaine and a handgun inside it.”

“What!? Are you serious?” Kurt asked, shocked. “Where on earth would something like that even come from? Wait! Oh my god! You don’t think I had anything to do with that, do you?”

“No. I don’t believe you did,” Blaine told him. “I don’t have any clue how it got there. But unfortunately, it is on your property, therefore _legally_ , you are responsible for it.”

“What does that mean exactly?” Kurt asked him.

Sebastian smirked as he let out a short, dry chuckle. “It means: you’re going down for possession of an unregistered firearm as well as felony drug possession. Hope you enjoy prison. Because you’re going to be there for a while.”

Kurt looked at Blaine fearfully. “What? Is that true?”

Blaine glared at Sebastian then looked at Kurt apologetically. “No. You are not being arrested at this time. _However_ , we do need to take you down to the station to ask you some questions in order to attempt to clear this mess up. But unfortunately, we may eventually have to arrest you if we can’t prove your innocence. And I _highly_ advise you to have an attorney present,” he answered. “I would also strongly suggest that you do not say another word until that attorney is with you. Okay?”

Kurt nodded at him in response. Then Blaine looked back over at Sebastian and added, “And don’t get too cocky. You’re not off the hook yet. You still have some questions to answer to as well.”

“I’ve already told you everything,” Sebastian argued. “And seeing as how I was right – not only about him, but about investigating this alleyway – I don’t see any reason _not_ to get cocky.”

David and two other officers walked over to them. “We’re ready.”

“Kurt, sweetie, I can’t go with you,” Blaine told him. Motioning toward David, he continued, “This is Officer Perkins. He’ll go with you and make sure you’re okay. Once you get to the station, you’ll be able to clean up a little bit and call your lawyer. But remember: don’t say anything until your lawyer arrives. I’m going to head over to the station on my bike. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Okay?” Once again, Kurt only nodded in reply. Blaine looked up at David and added, “David. Take care of him please.”

“Of course,” David replied, then walked away with Kurt and one of the officers that was with him.

The other officer looked at Blaine, awaiting instructions. Blaine took a deep breath, looked right at Sebastian, and said, “You’re going with Olsen.” Then he looked over at the officer and asked, “Is his bike secured?”

The officer nodded and replied, “Already loaded in transport.”

“Good,” he said. “He’s to be treated as a person of interest, not a cop. And he’s not to be left unattended. At all. Understood?”

“Understood,” Olsen replied.

“What the fuck?” Sebastian screeched. “You can’t treat me like a criminal for doing my fucking job! Are you a fucking moron? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Sebastian. You broke protocol. And there are still questions to be answered. Go with Olsen,” Blaine told him. “If you are so adamant that you did nothing wrong then you have no reason to fight me on this. Go. With. Olsen.”

“Fine,” he replied. “I see how it is. That fucking little twink got inside your head. Whatever, man. I’m _done_.” Sebastian tossed his hands up in defeat then followed Officer Olsen out of the alley.

\---

Once everyone left, Blaine exited the alleyway, making sure to securely latch the gate shut so that the locking mechanism clicked into place. He walked over to his bike and removed a roll of Police Tape from his bike bag and secured it over the gate. Before getting back on his bike and heading to the station, he had one last thing he needed to do; Blaine pulled out his cell phone and searched his contacts for the number he wanted, then dialed.

“Internal Affairs. Omar Rodriguez speaking,” the voice on the other line answered as soon as the call connected.

“Omar. It’s Blaine Anderson. 12th precinct,” Blaine began.

“Anderson. Considering my disdain for your partner, I’m surprised to hear from you voluntarily,” Rodriguez replied. “What can I help you with?”

“Actually, Smythe is the reason I’m calling you,” he said. Blaine then launched into a full explanation of the events that took place as well as both Sebastian’s and Kurt’s version of the story. “I’m sure Captain Bates will be calling you about this himself soon enough. But considering my relationship to both parties involved, I thought you should hear it from me first. I realize this means I will _also_ be placed under investigation, but I don’t care. I just want to know the truth. Because I don’t believe that Smythe is as innocent as he claims to be.”

“Well, I for one, am grateful you called,” Rodriguez said. “I’m actually not that far from your station. I can be there in less than five minutes. I’ll see you there.”

The call ended, and Blaine put away his phone. He got on his bike and headed back to the station.

\---

As soon as Blaine stepped foot into the station, Captain Bates called out to him, “Anderson! My office! Now!” Once Blaine was inside, Captain Bates shut the door and began pacing the room. “I don’t even know where to begin. I was just blindsided by I.A. storming in here to take over an interrogation of one of _my_ officers – an interrogation that apparently _you_ orchestrated. So why don’t you start from the beginning and tell me exactly what the _hell_ is going on here.”

Blaine did as he was told and reiterated everything that he had told Rodriguez earlier. When he finished, Captain Bates just shook his head in disbelief. “You’re too close to this case. I can’t have you working it,” he told Blaine. “And as long as this is still an open investigation, I don’t want you talking to Smythe or Hummel. Understand? Take the rest of the day off. Actually, take the rest of the week off – with pay. Depending on the outcome of this shitshow, I’m going to need that time to make adjustments to the rotation and find new partners for you and Smythe. Because I can guarantee that you two are not remaining as a unit. But I’d rather know exactly what I have to work with first. I’ll see you next Monday.”

“I understand. Thank you, sir,” Blaine replied. “If I may… I know you said I should take the rest of the day off, but do you mind if I stick around here for a little while. I understand I can’t talk to Kurt right now, but I’d like to at least make sure he’s okay.”

Captain Bates pursed his lips as he thought over the request. “Fine; but leave the body cam here, change out of your uniform, and lock up your weapon first.”

\---

When Blaine entered the locker room, he ran into Wes, who was changing into a different uniform shirt. “Wes, hey, you’re back. How’s Oscar?”

“I don’t know much,” Wes began. “He was brought into an exam room for treatment as soon as we arrived. I stuck around for a while in case they needed me for anything; and I eventually had to give them permission to perform surgery. But that’s about all I know,” he sighed and shook his head. “After a while, one of the vets there said it would probably be a few more hours before they can tell us anything concrete; so that’s when I finally left. They said they’re gonna call Kurt directly when they have new info since his cell number is on Oscar’s dog tags.”

“Are you heading upstairs now?” Blaine asked. When Wes nodded, Blaine continued, “Can you let David know that the vet will be calling Kurt? That way if they happen to call while Kurt’s still here, he is hopefully allowed to take the call? And let Kurt know that the Captain has taken me off the case and I’m not allowed to speak to him – or Smythe – right now. But that I’m still here. And I’ll still be here until he’s released – no matter what happens.”

“Released? Why is he being held?” Wes asked. “What happened?”

“It’s probably best that I let David catch you up on that,” he replied.

“Yeah, alright,” Wes agreed, hesitantly.

\---

Even though Blaine had been given the rest of the day off, he needed to keep himself occupied while waiting to see Kurt again, so he went to his desk to start filling out some incident reports about the day’s events. As he was filling out one of the reports, he paused and re-read the sentence he just wrote. “Oh my god,” he muttered quietly to himself. “I forgot about the other cameras.” He quickly got up and walked over to the interrogation room where Wes, David, and Kurt were.

An officer standing outside the door stopped him before he reached it. “Whoa, Anderson. I can’t let you in there.”

“I need to speak to David. It’s urgent. Can you ask him to come out here?” Blaine asked.

“Uh…yeah,” he replied, hesitantly. The officer then knocked on the interrogation door as he opened it. He pointed at David, then motioned him to step out into the hall.

“What is it?” David asked him, when the door closed behind him.

“There are cameras _in_ the alleyway,” Blaine told him. “The one on the outside of the gate isn’t the only one. I can’t believe I forgot about them. They’re camouflaged so they aren’t visible unless you’re looking for them. But they _are_ there.”

“So, there’s a chance there is a recording of what _actually_ happened?” David checked.

“Probably, yeah. I don’t know if the cameras are just on a live feed or if they record too. Or how much they record. Or how much of the alleyway they capture. You have to check with Kurt for all that info,” he stated. “But I was just thinking about what Kurt had told me about the cameras when I asked him about the broken lock mechanism on the gate. And he said that in addition to the camera outside of the gate, there were cameras _in_ the alley. You need to ask him for access to those tapes.”

“I’m on it,” David said. “Oh, and just as a heads up… I.A. is in the building. They’re interrogating Smythe right now. Considering you’re his partner, you’ll probably be next.”

“I know. I’m the one that called them,” Blaine replied. David looked at him in shock. “I wasn’t going to let another officer from this department interrogate Sebastian. They’d go way too easy on him. And I want to get to the bottom of what happened. If Sebastian is truly innocent, then it doesn’t matter what Omar asks him, because he won’t find anything.”

“You have a point.” He jerked his thumb toward the interrogation room. “I gotta get back inside. Thanks for the tip.”

\---

A few hours passed before Blaine heard from anyone about the situation. David walked up to Blaine’s desk with a smile on his face. “I have good news, and I have really good news. First, the good news. Kurt spoke to the vet. Oscar’s surgery went well. He’s in recovery right now, but the vet says his injuries are expected to fully heal. They want to keep him overnight for observation, just to be safe, but he can probably go home tomorrow or Monday. And now, the really good news. Those cameras you told me about…they recorded _everything_. We were able to get access to the theater’s security room and had copies of the security tapes from the alley made. Kurt has been cleared of _all_ impending charges and allegations.”

“Oh thank god!” Blaine said, relieved. “So what happened?”

David bit his lip and looked uncomfortable at what he was about to say. “According to all the timestamps, the camera outside the gate…it wasn’t knocked out of position until a second or two before Sebastian entered the alleyway. So we can only assume that he was the one to knock it out of place. And when he entered the alley… Sebastian was carrying that box that we found. He was the one that placed it behind the garbage bins. Kurt exited the building with Oscar a few seconds later. Then the cameras basically verified Kurt’s statement of what happened. I say basically because there’s no audio on the recordings, so we don’t know exactly what was said. But we can tell that Oscar didn’t attack unprovoked. Sebastian kicked him, like Kurt said he did. And Bas had his gun out and fired almost as soon as he hit the ground. Other than knocking him to the ground, Oscar didn’t even have time to _try_ and attack him. That gunshot was not self-defense; there was malicious intent. As for Sebastian’s _reasons_ …I have no clue. All I know is that, even though Omar was shown the security footage, he isn’t done with his investigation yet, and he still has questions for Sebastian. But I don’t see how Bas is getting out of this with his badge intact.”

“I’m still so confused,” Blaine replied. “Why would Bas try to frame Kurt? What purpose does that serve? Or _was_ he even trying to frame Kurt? I mean, you heard him earlier, he had no clue that was Kurt’s property, so what the hell was he doing there? And why? And where the hell did that box come from anyway? I’m just…”

“I don’t know, man,” David replied. “I guess that’s what Omar is trying to find out. But, hey, Captain Bates said that since Kurt has been cleared, he’s free to leave and you are able to see him again. Smythe is still off limits, but given the circumstances, I’m sure you don’t care much about seeing him right now.”

“No, I don’t,” Blaine confirmed. “But if Kurt’s free, then I _need_ to see him. Where is he?”

“He’s still in interrogation with Wes. I thought I’d give you the good news first so you can be there when we release him,” David told him.

\---

Blaine anxiously waited outside the interrogation room while David gave Kurt the good news. As soon as he saw Kurt exit the room, he froze in place, eyes focused on Kurt. When Kurt looked up and noticed Blaine, he let out a sigh of relief and rushed into Blaine’s arms. Blaine hugged him tightly and buried his face in the crook of Kurt’s neck. “I’m so relieved that you’re okay,” Blaine mumbled.

A few moments later, when Kurt pulled back from the hug he took in Blaine’s appearance. “You’re not wearing your uniform anymore? You’re already off work? It’s not after 4:00 yet, is it?”

“Not yet. Almost though,” Blaine answered. “But I was ordered to take the week off, so…”

“You’re not in any trouble, are you?” Kurt asked.

“Not as of right now,” he replied. “That may change after I talk to I.A., but I don’t believe I’ll have to face any disciplinary actions. I guess it really all depends on what happens with Sebastian.”

“He needs to pay for what he did to Oscar,” Kurt muttered angrily. “He’s lucky that Oscar is going to be okay, otherwise I don’t think I could be held accountable for my actions.”

“Not exactly the best thing you could say in front of three cops after being held for questioning, but I agree; he is _damn_ lucky,” Blaine tried to joke. “And Sebastian _will_ pay for Oscar’s injuries – in the financial sense if nothing else. I’ve already taken steps to ensure that he is responsible for Oscar’s vet bill.” He gave Kurt a soft smile before changing the direction of their conversation. “But what do you say we get out of here? Go someplace a little more…private?”

“Sounds good. Can we go back to your place?” Kurt checked. “I’m not sure I’m ready to go home yet after what happened there.”

“Of course we can,” he agreed. “Let’s go.” Blaine took Kurt’s hand, held it tightly in his own, and walked out of the building with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2“Bus” is a slang term used by police to mean “ambulance”.


	12. Chapter 12 (Epilogue)

**__** **_[One month later]_ **

“Anderson, can I see you in my office please?” Captain Bates asked.

“Of course,” Blaine agreed. He got up from his desk and followed the man into his office. When he entered the room, he noticed a young woman seated in front of the Captain’s desk.

“Officer Blaine Anderson, I’d like you to meet Officer Dianna Walsh; your new partner,” the Captain said, introducing him to the woman. Blaine shook her hand in greeting before Captain Bates continued, “I know this past month hasn’t been easy for you, having to split your shifts between solo bike patrols and desk work due to a lack of bicycle-trained officers to ride with you. But Dianna here has just completed her bicycle training certification course and is able to ride out in the field now. She’s new to the precinct but has been an NYPD officer for almost a year now; transferred from the 9th. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be back to a full patrol rotation with Dianna in tow. I should have a new schedule for you by the end of the day. In the meantime, why don’t you show Dianna to her desk, explain to her what you are currently working on, and get to know one another a little more.”

“Absolutely,” Blaine replied. “I assume she’ll be taking over the empty desk across from mine?” When the Captain nodded, Blaine looked back over at Dianna and said, “Right this way.” He brought her over to the desk that Sebastian used to occupy. “This will be your new desk. Mine is right here if you ever have any questions or need me for anything. Before we go any further, I should probably ask…I’m not sure what the Captain has or hasn’t told you about me, but I am gay and in a relationship with another man. That’s not going to be a problem for you, is it?”

“Captain Bates did mention that to me,” Dianna told him. “And no, not a problem at all. To be honest, I’m actually quite relieved. It means that you won’t attempt to hit on me at all. And since I transferred here to get away from a few misogynistic assholes who would constantly proposition me while treating me like I was their secretary, I have no issues with your lack of interest in women.”

“Your Captain didn’t do anything to stop that?” Blaine asked.

Dianna shook her head. “No. Why would he? He was one of those assholes. But luckily for me, there was a nice Detective that noticed my suffering. He used to work in this district and mentioned how strict Captain Bates was about not allowing discrimination of any kind in his department. So, I put in a request for a transfer. Went above my Captain’s head for it, so he didn’t know about the request until it had been approved.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you. But you are in a better environment now,” he told her. Blaine looked down at his desk and let out a soft sigh. “Captain Bates said I should show you what I’m working on, so…” he motioned to the pile of paperwork on his desk, “Right now I’m cataloging these property damage reports. Really exciting stuff, I know. You are welcome to take half if you want to help me out with them.”

Dianna chuckled and nodded. “Sounds like a blast,” she said, extending her hand for a portion of the reports. “So, how long have you been on Bike Patrol?”

“I joined the force about 4 years ago, and after 6 months of listening to my former partner complain about my driving, I decided to get certified so I could join the Bike Patrol to escape his nagging. I figured I wouldn’t have to hear him complain that I drive like an old man every time I got into the driver’s seat if there was no car to drive,” he replied. “Unfortunately, he didn’t like the idea of potentially being assigned a new partner – especially since not many people in our department could tolerate his near-constant borderline sexual harassment…which of course he would turn around on them and claim discrimination against him for being gay – so he followed me into the training program. Since we were already partners, and both of us passed the certification training, I was still stuck with him.”

“The way you phrase that makes it seem like you didn’t like your old partner,” she said, curiously.

“He is a rich, elitist snob that thinks that he is god’s gift to men. But despite all that, I got along with him just fine for a _really_ long time. We weren’t close by any means; but I did consider him a friend…until last month – until the end of our partnership,” Blaine told her. “My perceptions of him have been permanently tainted by the actions that caused the dissolution of our partnership. And now, I don’t think it’s possible for me to speak about him in a positive light anymore.”

“If you don’t mind me asking… What happened?” Dianna asked.

“He tried to frame my boyfriend for felony drug possession,” Blaine answered.

Dianna gaped at him in shock. “What!?”

Blaine sighed and shook his head. “The details behind it…well, it’s kind of a long story. You sure you want to hear it?”

“Yeah, I think I need to,” she said.

“Okay,” he agreed. “Sebastian, my former partner, was jealous of my boyfriend, Kurt. He thought if Kurt was indicted on felony charges that would put an end to my relationship with him, and it would allow for Sebastian to _‘pick up the pieces’_ so-to-speak. I guess he was expecting me to fall into his arms for comfort. But his plan didn’t exactly go as he intended it to. Kurt, unknowingly, walked in on Sebastian planting the evidence, and as a result, Sebastian ended up shooting Kurt’s dog. When I arrived on the scene with two other officers a moment after his gun went off, Sebastian tried to make it seem like he caught Kurt with the evidence and shot his dog in self-defense. Thankfully, there were a few security cameras in the area that recorded the entire incident. Once Kurt had been cleared, and Sebastian had been told there was video evidence that contradicted his story, he cracked under pressure and confessed to everything.”

“Whoa, wait a sec,” Dianna said, shaking her head in disbelief. “The two of you were _working_ at the time this happened? You’re telling me that he tried to plant evidence while _on the job_? With you there? Or nearby rather? What? How does that even work? Especially since he would be wearing a body cam that would have recorded him planting it?”

“Sebastian never wore a body cam. It’s not mandatory for us to; and since I always wear one, and we were almost always together while on patrol, it didn’t seem like a necessity to anyone. But yes, he did this while we were on patrol together.

“Kurt lives in the area that we patrolled. Sebastian and I were planning on getting lunch at the diner directly across the street from Kurt’s building. He _specifically_ chose that diner for its proximity to Kurt’s building but played it off like he was doing me a favor by suggesting it. From what I was told, the initial plan was for him to distract me somehow or wait until I was in the bathroom, then run across the street to plant the evidence and use a burner cell to report an anonymous tip alerting us to the box with someone that fit Kurt’s description, then return to the diner before I noticed he was gone or got too suspicious. He wanted me to be there when the call from Dispatch came in – wanted me to see for myself that Kurt wasn’t who he claimed to be. He thought it would be fun to watch me be forced to arrest my own boyfriend.

“What actually happened was, about a half a block away from the diner, we ran into two other officers that patrol the same area in a cruiser. I began to catch them up on where we’d been, what was happening, etc. Sebastian claimed he was starving and was going up ahead to the diner to order his food while I stayed to bring the other officers up to speed. He thought he could use this time to plant the evidence and make the anonymous call without arousing any suspicion. But Kurt accidentally interrupted him. We heard the gunshot, and the three of us raced to the scene,” he explained.

“So he had the drugs with him while you were on patrol?” she wondered. “Where did he even get them from? And how did he manage to hide them from you?”

“Yeah,” Blaine confirmed. “Apparently, he had an extra police bike bag at home. He put the box containing the drugs in that and arrived at the station a few minutes early to secure it to his bike. It didn’t even cross my mind to question why his bike had two bike bags.

“As for where the drugs came from…” he continued, pinching the bridge of his nose. “He has a lot of connections – both police and personal. So he knew where to buy it. And he’s _extremely_ rich, so spending a couple grand on the drugs and another couple of grand for the dealer’s silence…it was _nothing_ to him. And the unregistered handgun that was also in the box was purchased under-the-table at a trade show – with plenty of fingerprints from prospective buyers, none of which were his own.”

“He planted a _gun_ too?” Dianna asked in shock. “Jeez. So, what happened to him after he confessed to everything?”

“Well, like I said, he’s extremely rich, so he was able to avoid jail time,” he said. “But he was terminated from the force – lost his badge; he paid a large fine for the various charges that were brought against him; paid for the emergency vet bill, as well as all follow up exams, medications, and treatments for Kurt’s dog; and he was put on a 90-day probation. So basically, he got a slap on the wrist – nothing that’s actually going to affect him in anyway.”

“All because he was jealous of your boyfriend?” she asked. “That’s insane.”

Blaine nodded at her. “Pretty much; yeah.”

\---

“Hey, honey; how was work today?” Kurt asked, as Blaine approached him outside of the restaurant where they were meeting for dinner later that night.

Blaine gave him a quick kiss hello, then opened the door and motioned for Kurt to head inside. “I was assigned a new partner today,” he answered.

Kurt was silent as the hostess showed them to their table. Once she left them alone with their menus he asked, “Oh? A new partner? Is that a good thing or…?”

“She seems like a really nice person,” he began. “Doesn’t have any issues with me being gay. And now that I have a partner again, it means I can go back to a full-time patrol schedule – no more spending half my week sitting at my desk fielding calls and doing everyone else’s paperwork. I was even given my old patrol route, so I’ll still be riding past The Nell every day. Only difference is, I’m now working 8-5 instead of 7-4, and I now have Mondays and Thursdays off instead of Sundays and Wednesdays.”

“Aww, so no more Saturday night dates?” Kurt asked, pouting.

“We can still go out on Saturday nights,” Blaine replied, chuckling. “We go out all the time on nights where I have to work the next day. We’re out right now, aren’t we?”

“True, but our weekday dates usually end around 10:00 or 11:00,” he said. “Saturday night dates on the other hand usually don’t end until Sunday afternoon.”

“Hmm…you may have a point,” Blaine agreed, smirking. “But I’m sure we can come up with an alternative.” He then got a bit more serious and hesitantly added, “I did have to tell Dianna – my new partner – about what happened to…my old one.”

“What did she say?” Kurt asked.

“She was shocked and appalled,” Blaine replied. “She thought it was insane – which it was, so…” He shook his head then snorted out a brief laugh. “And that was _without_ me telling her about the part where Bas had followed you home from the park on his day off a few days earlier just so he could find out where you lived. It still baffles me how he managed to do enough research to find out that you were the only tenant there – and therefore presumably the only person the box could belong to; but yet he somehow missed the part that said that the theater employees had access to the alleyway as well – thus negating his presumption that you would be the only person with access to the box – _and_ that you were also the property owner.”

“I still get mad at myself about that damn gate,” Kurt told him. “I keep thinking, if only I had remembered that the latch wasn’t working right, I would have made sure that I shut the gate tight enough for the lock to click in place, and he never would have gotten inside. He never would have seen me come home from my jog, notice that the gate wasn’t secure, and push it open without entering my access code. He wouldn’t have known it was possible to get inside if I only remembered to take the time and make sure the gate was latched on my way out.”

“Honey, we’ve gone over this…” Blaine began, sympathetically, “you can’t keep blaming yourself about the broken gate. You tried to get it repaired before he even knew we were a couple. It’s not your fault the parts took a week to come in. Not only that, but you’ve been living in that building for _years_. You’ve never had to worry about checking the gate behind you to make sure it latched before. It slipped your mind because you weren’t used to doing it. You have to stop berating yourself.”

“That’s easier said than done,” he replied. “I’m just grateful Oscar is okay. He’s made a full recovery and is _finally_ back to his old self again. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost him. I’m also really grateful that you stuck by my side throughout that whole ordeal – that you actually believed me over…” Kurt screwed his face up in disgust, voice taking on a venom-filled sneer, “ _him_. I know you had to deal with Internal Affairs asking you questions to make sure you really did know nothing about the situation – and to make sure that you were following protocol in regards to how you handled everything with me – and it got pretty invasive at times. But you handled that whole thing with class; and you never resented me or our relationship because of it. I can’t express how much that means to me.”

“Well, that whole thing with I.A. turned out okay. I had nothing to hide. I wasn’t charged with anything, nor was I disciplined in any way. And I _knew_ I was going to be investigated. I was the one that called I.A. in the first place after all. Because as much as I didn’t want to believe Bas was capable of doing what he did, his story just didn’t sit right with me,” Blaine said. “And doing my job for as long as I have been, I’ve learned not to ignore glaringly obvious red flags like that. For a while, I was petrified that you might resent me for what happened. Because he never would have gone after you or Oscar in the first place, if it weren’t for my relationship with you. And I could never resent you or our relationship because of someone else’s actions. Especially when I felt like I was partly responsible for what he did. If I hadn’t’ve kept baiting him with demands for _proof_ that his allegations about you were true, maybe he wouldn’t have gone as far as he did.”

“That wasn’t your fault,” Kurt told him. “If I’m not allowed to beat myself up about the gate, then you sure as hell aren’t allowed to blame yourself for his rationale. What you said to him is not a justification for his actions. And I.A. agrees with me on that.”

“Have I told you yet today that I love you?” Blaine replied.

Kurt chuckled and blushed. “You have. But I don’t mind hearing it again. Also, I love you too.”


End file.
